After reading about the disturbing deaths in Calgary this month of five-year-old Taliyah Marsman and her mother Sara Baillie, Edmonton artist Wayne Ashley felt he had to do something.
Ashley, who has dedicated his life to honouring first responders and victims of crime, got to work on another monument for Janet Fredette, who is mourning the loss of her daughter and granddaughter. A 46-year-old man has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder.
“By the time I read the story and watched all the videos there was nothing else I could do,” said Ashley.
He crafted another mosaic — the kind of tile art he’s become known for, this time showing a mother bear and her cub.
“Thinking of the grandmother and not only the loss of a child but a grandchild is unimaginable,” he said.
Ashley also designed an accompanying piece for the Calgary Police Service to show respect for the officers who worked on the case and discovered both bodies.
Both victims’ names and pictures are laser-inscribed on granite.
“Just a horrible thing, almost unspeakable,” said Ashley, noting the work police have to do needs to be remembered.
Edmonton Artist Wayne Ashley packed his latest artwork into his vehicle and headed for Calgary this past Sunday. (Wayne Ashley)
When his work was finished on Sunday, he packed up his pieces and headed out on the road to Calgary.
His girlfriend Bonnie Gibeau was with him.
“It’s interesting when you walk into a police station unannounced and you start to(talk about) this monument to them and they don’t know who you are and why you’re there,” Gibeau said.
But the officers’ initial trepidation quickly disappeared, she said.
Ashley’s piece includes photos and names of Taliyah Marsman and Sara Baillie that are laser-inscribed. (Wayne Ashley)
“When they hear him and they way he speaks about it and his humbleness and selflessness, the reaction was really quite phenomenal,” she said.
Ashley said part of why he does what he does is to help him deal with tragic events and to make sure the first responders know that people are thinking of them in dark times.
He said he felt great later when he received an emailed message from one of the Calgary constables.
The officer wrote that Ashley deserved “a thousand thanks and, much like us, you will not see how many lives you have touched until we meet again.”
Ashley’s mosaic depicts a mother bear and her cub, illustrating the bond between mother and daughter. (Wayne Ashley)
Ashley wants the artwork to go to Taliyah’s grandmother and Baillie’s mother when she’s ready for it.
He said he hopes his work will show Fredette that people are thinking of her even even if they don’t know her.
gareth.hampshire@cbc.ca
@cbcgareth