A new memorial garden is set to bloom in Portage la Prairie, one dedicated to the quiet grief of families who have lost a child far too soon.
The Portage Infant Memorial Garden, spearheaded by resident Angie Steinke in memory of her grandson, Wells Robert Blatchford, will be built in a peaceful green space near the existing Sunset Palliative Care Memory Garden at Island Park. Construction is scheduled to begin next spring, with an official unveiling expected in the summer of 2026.
The idea came to life after her daughter, Taylor Blatchford, lost her son Wells during a medical procedure while pregnant in March 2022. The heartbreak sparked a need to honour his short life, and the countless other infants lost to late-term miscarriage, stillbirth, or early infancy.
“After she lost Wells, she came home to do a period of grieving here. One of the things that weighed on her was that within a year or two, everybody would forget that he even existed,” Steinke recalls. “As a mom, when you have a hurting child, you hurt along with them. I was racking my brain trying to figure out a way that we could help her with that fear, and that’s how the Infant Memorial Garden originally started.”
The Portage Infant Memorial Garden will be built alongside The Sunset Palliative Care Memory Garden at Island Park in the spring of 2026, offering families a peaceful space to remember their tiny loved ones. PortageOnline/Maryssa McFadden
A place to remember
The garden will be modest in scale, designed with gentle landscaping, benches, and a central memorial stone adorned with granite plaques available for families to purchase in honour of their lost little ones.
“We have a list of names already of people who are going to buy a granite plaque to apply to the stone. That goes to show you, this is something that people who have experienced this loss need. They need that place to recognize their child. You anticipate the birth, the arrival of a new child for nine months, and when it ends with such a loss, it is extremely devastating to a family,” she says.
She says the goal is for the garden to become a space of living remembrance, where grief and love can coexist.
“Life goes on after a loss. If they have more children, parents will already be at the park, and they need somewhere close and convenient for them to come and honour their lost child. I think the location is amazing, and we’re very grateful that the City of Portage la Prairie is allowing us to go ahead with this project in such a beautiful spot,” she explains.
Built with love and community support
The project has already received a groundswell of community backing. Angie and Taylor won $10,000 from the Community Foundation of Portage and District’s 150 Women Who Care in February. They have also received two $5,000 grants, one from Sunset Palliative Care and another from the Portage Community Revitalization Corporation. Meseyton Construction Ltd. also jumped on board without hesitation to assist with the groundwork.
Rather than begin construction in phases this fall, they decided to hold off until spring 2026 to complete the build all at once.
“We could’ve done it in phases, but we want to do it right. If we start now, only half the project will be done because the benches won’t be ready until spring, and the memorial stone might not be ready until late fall. So rather than completing it halfway before the snow, we thought it would be best to start first thing in the spring and get the whole project done at once,” she continues.
Long-term sustainability is also part of the plan. They hope the sale of plaques will not only honour babies but help build a fund to maintain the garden and offer support to families who may not be able to afford a plaque.
“Through the sales of the plaques, we are hoping to build a fund, so if there are some parents who want to honour a baby, but can’t afford to pay, we could help a little bit with that expense. Then of course, if plants die and we need to replace them, we would have a fund in place for that,” she notes.
Steinke is also planning to reach out to local businesses to help ensure the garden’s lasting quality.
“We are crossing our fingers that they will see the importance of this garden and make some donations that will help us use the type of finishes that are going to last the long haul, because we want this to be something that lasts 100 years.”
Angie Steinke and Taylor Blatchford with Kimberly Lavallee, former Executive Director of the Community Foundation of Portage and District after they won the ‘150 Women Who Care’ event in February. PortageOnline/Maryssa McFadden
A personal journey of loss and love
Taylor Blatchford now lives in Alberta with her husband, Brad, and their young daughter, Blake. The couple is expecting a second son this month, which is a moment of joy that comes with its own quiet ache.
“The grief never really goes away. You learn to live with it, but you don’t overcome it. It becomes part of you, and that’s why something like this garden is so important. It acknowledges that those babies mattered and still do,” she shares.
Even now, she says the loss of Wells is ever-present in their family celebrations.
“When Taylor’s home, and we’re doing celebrations as a family, as much joy as little Blake brings to all of us, I can see Taylor’s eyes wander off, and I know she’s thinking that someone is missing, that there should be another little one with us,” she says. “I don’t believe there’s any coming back from that. No matter how happy she and her husband are, losing Wells has changed them forever, and they will carry that cross forever.”
A quiet need, finally met
As word spreads, more families are reaching out, eager to honour children they lost and never want forgotten.
“It’s surprising how many other families have experienced the same kind of loss and have the same sort of concerns that their child will be forgotten,” she reflects. “It’s not talked about enough, and I think mothers, fathers, siblings, extended family, and friends need a place to honour such a loss.”
For those wishing to contribute, donations can be made via e-transfer to portageinfantmemorialgarden@gmail.com or by reaching out to Angie and her husband, Greg, through the same email. A GoFundMe campaign has also been launched.
As construction draws near, Steinke says it’s not just about building a garden, it’s about building a space where grief is seen, love is remembered, and healing can begin.
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