Manitoba government funding memorial, local non-profit in town where family killed

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

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