Tears for Manmeet Bhullar’s family as school in his name opens in Calgary
Posted Aug 21, 2017 4:53 pm.
Last Updated Aug 21, 2017 6:17 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
“They’re tears of joy, there’s tears of grief and there’s just tears of absolute gratitude,” Tarjinder Bhullar said Monday as she stood in the Calgary school that now bears her late brother’s name.
Manmeet Singh Bhullar School opened its doors on August 15, but Monday was when members of the media and the late PC MLA’s family got to take a tour inside.
“It kind of leaves you speechless,” she said. “It’s amazing to see his name associated with a place that is going to give young children education and such a strong start to the rest of their lives.”
The former PC MLA was killed in November 2015 after he was hit by a truck on QE2 Highway near Red Deer after he had gotten out of his car to help a stranded driver.
He was 35.
The Martindale school has a capacity of 600 students and currently sits at 412 from kindergarten to Grade 5.
It includes Smart TVs in classrooms, a private courtyard and several meeting spaces.
Kevin Bauer said it’s an honour to be its first principal.
“Not only an emotional investment but there’s a personal investment,” he said. “The school is named after someone who is very meaningful to the community here.
“We get to set the tone and set a bar for the students and the families of Martindale.”
Aside from the emotional impact, Bauer pointed out the school is also giving many students the opportunity to walk, bike and skateboard to class for the first time.
“It feels like I’m very welcome,” Grade 3 student Jaikrish said. “It feels like I’m in the newest, greatest school in Calgary.”
Tarjinder said her ultimate hope is for the school to produce many students who will give back to the community.
“Just like Manmeet, that is the absolute amazing thing,” she explained. “For the years that they are here, they will learn about him hands on and they will recognize that in them, lives a little bit of him.”
For Bhullar’s family, it’s only appropriate the school is in Martindale.
“He represented everyone, but he was a proud northeast boy.”
