Manitoba government funding memorial, non-profit in Carman after family killed

The Manitoba government is providing funds to create a memorial to honour five family members, including three young children, killed in a rural area southwest of Winnipeg.

The province says it is providing $20,000 for construction of the memorial in Carman, as well as $300,000 to Carman Wellness Connections, a non-profit organization that offers mental-health services.

Police found the bodies of Amanda Clearwater, her three children — six-year-old Bethany, four-year-old Jayven and two-month-old Isabella — and her 17-year-old niece, Myah-Lee Gratton, at multiple crimes scenes in and around Carman in February.

“With the memorial fund and this other donation, I think it’s going to help out a lot,” said Nancy Clearwater, Amanda’s mother. “This money is going to go a long way to help out.”

Ryan Manoakeesick, Amanda Clearwater’s common-law partner and the father of the three children, was charged with five counts of first-degree murder.

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Karen Tjaden, a board member with Carman Wellness Connections, says the government funding will help enhance its programs and expand its reach in the community.

“For the past four years, we’ve continued to work as a volunteer organization with a very minimal budget, I mean worrying about every hundred dollars to do the work we do,” said Tjaden.

Tjaden says they’ve had visions and dreams, but never the funding, saying they were blown away by the announcement.

“I was totally shocked. I was at the board table when those numbers were shared and there was absolute silence — it didn’t last for long.”

Commending the community of Carman for supporting the Clearwater family as they mourn, Premier Wab Kinew said he heard about the good work being done by Wellness Connections in the aftermath of the tragedy, saying it’s organizations like them, that know the community best.

“We describe it as a not-for-profit, but what it really is is the neighbours here in Carman to be able to find the help they need,” said Tjaden.

Whether it’s with mental health and emotional supports, or addressing food security, it’s through supporting organizations like this that he says future tragedies will be avoided.

Premier Kinew says the town will be in charge of determining what the memorial will look like, but early conversations have indicated it will include something for children, like a playground.

“One of the tragic things that we seem to say over and over again in this province is: ‘We have people who fall through the cracks.’ But it’s an organization like Carman Wellness Connections that is going to make sure that in Carman, that we catch up with those folks. That we find them, that we have a way to find them, and have a way to make sure they get the help that they need,” said Premier Kinew.