Contributed photo (above): Dylan, Charlotte and Logan Miller and Deacon & Jack Trim, Ellie’s little friends at Caledon Central.
On July 1st, 2022, as the fun and freedom of summer break was just taking hold, tragedy struck in Caledon. Six-year old Ellie Wratten and her mom Jenny Bullock were victims in a house fire on Mountainview Road. The close-knit Caledon Central Public School community was crushed at the sad news about one of their dear students.
Last week, on Friday, November 24th, that community found yet another way to remember and honour their sweet friend. In the presence of family, friends, Caledon OPP, Caledon Fire, PDSB staff, Councillors, and others, Principal Lesley Kennedy delivered a touching speech as they officially opened Ellie’s Inclusive Play Space.
“We gather today in both celebration and memory as we celebrate the opening of our awesome new fully inclusive and accessible play space and in sorrow as we remember the beautiful, fun loving, wonderfully confident and brave Ellie Wratten!
Contributed photo: Ellie’s Grandparents Don & Mary Bullock Uncle Ryan Bullock and Family with a very proud Principal Lesley Kennedy
When I first became principal here over two years ago, I quickly came to realize that our school needed an accessible playground where all students of all abilities could be involved in inclusive play with their peers on the incredible 10 acres of property Caledon Central calls home. This space held a playground for many years that over time became tired and worn down and eventually needed to be removed for safety purposes.
With our school council, many of our families and our community partners we were able to pull together a great amount of money in a short period of time to have our new inclusive accessible playground installed. The money raising took place in the spring of 2022 and as a school community we became so excited about what was about to be built in this space!
As we headed off to summer break that year, our excitement was soon overtaken by our incredible sadness when we tragically lost one of our bright and shining lights Ellie Wratten and her mom Jenny Bullock in a tragic house fire.
Our school community grieved that summer and into that fall as we gathered to remember Ellie in different ways. In my role supporting students, staff, and families I was supported through the ongoing efforts and communication with Caledon OPP and the Caledon Fire Department who join us today.
Contributed photo: Dylan Miller, Ellie’s friend
It didn’t take long for staff, and many of our little friends and their families to reach out and suggest that we name our new inclusive, accessible play space in honour of Ellie. Students and staff spoke of Ellie’s spunk, her confidence and her beautiful eyes and that Ellie would have loved this play space and the importance of inclusive for all to play. Ellie grew up knowing that people were unique, that different abilities didn’t put you out of the play but rather she knew to include people in the play. She knew that our uniqueness and ability shouldn’t mean exclusion but rather inclusion as she lived with this loving reality through her mom, her extended family, and her supportive grandparents.
Today we are wanting to say thank you to our community partners who gave so generously to build our play space. Thank you to our Caledon Central School Council and families who gave sacrificially when the new principal said we were going to make this happen in a short amount of time and we walked together and found the funds. Thank you to my beautiful students and staff who knew this would be the perfect place for us to remember Ellie and name it in her memory. Thank you to the Caledon OPP & Sergeant Rai (one of our parents) who journeyed on the July day with me on the phone as we together reached out to Ellie’s family. Thank you to the Caledon Fire Department for their hard work that day and every day and when Gillan came to host a Fire Safety Awareness Session for our students and families in August before school started as we remembered Ellie and her mom.
Students who are learning to read and fully enjoying the playground have asked me over the past couple of weeks since the sign has been installed what it says and I proudly read “Ellie’s Inclusive Play Space”. They ask who Ellie is, and I get to share that she was a Caledon Bronco who by no mistake loved horses, ran around these fields free and wild in her beauty and splendour.”
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