Winnipeg poised to approve memorial to victims of airliner shot down in Iran
8 Manitobans among 176 killed when Flight PS752 was shot down in 2020; monument planned for Whyte Ridge
The City of Winnipeg is poised to approve an historical marker to honour the victims of the Ukrainian airliner shot down after taking off from Tehran in 2020.
On Tuesday, city council's executive policy committee will consider a recommendation to place a permanent memorial to 176 people who died on Jan. 8, 2020, when the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps shot down Ukrainian International Airlines Flight PS752.
That date is now the National Day of Remembrance for Victims of Air Disasters. A marker slated for Scurfield Park in Whyte Ridge will commemorate the victims of PS752 with a wall featuring all of their names, according to a report to EPC.
Eight Manitobans were among the dead:
- Amirhossein Bahabadi Ghorbani.
- Farzaneh Naderi and her son Noojan Sadr.
- Mohammad Mahdi Sadeghi, his wife Bahareh Hajesfandiari and their daughter Anisa Sadeghi.
- Forough Khadem.
- Amirhossein Ghassemi.
The city received an online application to create the marker. The applicant is covering the cost of the marker. The city will spend $1,000 on a land-acknowledgment plaque.
The application notes the struggles of the Iranian diaspora in Manitoba.
"The families of Flight PS752 victims have been refused justice since January 2020 despite their nonstop efforts working with different governments and international organizations," the application reads.
"The plaza will not only help people silently mourn, but will also provide an environment for communities from countries that have challenging political, social, and human rights situations to come together, share and learn."
Following the EPC vote, the memorial requires the approval of city council as a whole.
WATCH | A January 2020 report on Manitobans killed in the shootdown of Flight PS752:
