Niagara-on-the-Lake college’s ‘first lady’ has memorial garden opening
Published October 3, 2022 at 10:13 am
The Niagara College’s Niagara-on-the-Lake campus will remember its long-time ‘First Lady’ today (October 3) by creating something that will live on for decades to come.
Saundra Patterson, the wife of Daniel J. Patterson, who sadly passed on January 27, 2021, will be honoured by having a garden in her name on the very campus named after her husband.
During her husband’s 25-year tenure as president, Saundra was at the heart of every major college event and greeted countless visitors – including two royal visits (King Charles III, who was then the Prince of Wales, and Sophie the Countess of Wessex), two prime ministers (Justin Trudeau and Stephen Harper), and numerous government officials and dignitaries.
In March 2021, the College announced plans to honour her memory through the creation of a dedicated memorial garden.
Work on the garden project was led by the college’s School of Environment and Horticulture, and staff from the Teaching Greenhouse. This special project created hands-on learning opportunities for students, including Alice Lee (Landscape Technician, 2021) who took the lead on the garden design.
The official opening of the Saundra Patterson Memorial Garden in the upper courtyard will begin today at 4 pm with speeches begin at 4:30 running to 5:15 p.m. Among those speaking will be Daniel J. Patterson, current college president Sean Kennedy, other dignitaries, as well as students who helped create the garden.
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