The City of Dollard-des-Ormeaux (DDO) is paying homage to Teresa Dellar posthumously by naming a park after her.
Council voted unanimously on Monday night to change the name of Alouette Park on Durham Street to honour the longtime resident and pioneer in the field of palliative care. The proposed name is Teresa-Dellar-Alouette Park.
READ MORE: Teresa Dellar, founder of West Island Palliative Care Residence, dead at 58
“She was a remarkable woman, a true leader in our community, and we must do everything not to forget this unique jewel that we were so fortunate to have,” said DDO Mayor Alex Bottausci during the meeting.
Dellar, the former executive director and co-founder of the West Island Palliative Care Residence (WIPCR), passed away at the age of 58 in August after a long battle with cancer.
She helped found the residence in 1998 and has been praised for helping individuals and families navigate some of the most difficult moments in their lives.
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The residence opened its doors for the first time in 2002 with nine beds. It now comprises 23 beds, making it the largest palliative care residence in Canada. Since then, the WIPCR has helped more than 4,400 terminally ill people end their lives in comfort.
Dellar’s work has been widely recognized over the years. She received the Personality of the Year Award from Cités Nouvelles in 1999, the West Islander of the Year Award from The Chronicle in 2002, the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012 and the Meritorious Service Cross by then-governor general David Johnston in November 2016.
She was also awarded the Canada 150 community service award in 2017.
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City officials say they are “proud to celebrate the memory of Teresa Dellar with this initiative, which will ensure that her legacy will be remembered in our community.”