Volunteers put up 215 crosses bedecked with children乌鸦传媒檚 clothing at the Derek Doubleday Arboretum in Langley on Tuesday morning.

A sign explained the display offers visitors a moment to reflect on the memory of the children found at the Kamloops Indian Residential School.

乌鸦传媒淪hould you choose, take time to remember, honour and reflect on the tiny souls, their families and the community,乌鸦传媒� the sign read.

It was the idea of Cecilia Reekie, a former Langley school trustee and self-described 乌鸦传媒渋nter-generational survivor乌鸦传媒� who said she was inspired by the sight of crosses with clothing when she visited Kamloops after news of the discovery broke.

乌鸦传媒淭hey were somebody乌鸦传媒檚 babies,乌鸦传媒� she told the Langley Advance Times.

乌鸦传媒淎nd sadly, there乌鸦传媒檚 going to be more.乌鸦传媒�

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Reekie said she selected clothing that the children wouldn乌鸦传媒檛 have worn, because they were in uniform.

One in particular touched her, a tiny white dress with orange trim and a ribbon on the front, which exactly matched the colour seen during the annual Orange Shirt Day held to recognize and raise awareness about the residential school system

Reekie praised the and Township of Langley parks staff for their 乌鸦传媒渁mazing乌鸦传媒� assistance.

Foundation Executive Director Susan Cairn, who took part in the installation, said the crosses represent 乌鸦传媒渢he magnitude of the atrocity.乌鸦传媒�

Cairns said the 215 乌鸦传媒渘ever had a chance to grow up, to have a 10th birthday, or graduate, or be mothers, fathers [or] grandfathers.

Langley City Coun. Rosemary Wallace, a director with the foundation, joined in the volunteer effort.

乌鸦传媒淭his is a very important message,乌鸦传媒� Wallace commented.

乌鸦传媒淚t gets right in your gut and your heart.乌鸦传媒�

Volunteer Una-Ann Moyer, a former aboriginal support worker in the Langley school district, said the crosses make a visual statement that a number does not.

乌鸦传媒淭his, to me, is powerful,乌鸦传媒� Moyer commented.

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It was an opinion shared by Langley City resident Judy Goldsmith, a board member on the , who said seeing the crosses filling the green space in the front of the park makes them more than 乌鸦传媒渢his number in our head.乌鸦传媒�

乌鸦传媒淭hese kids were somebody乌鸦传媒檚 babies, and they can乌鸦传媒檛 be forgotten,乌鸦传媒� Goldsmith said.

Reekie said she expects the crosses will be up 乌鸦传媒渋ndefinitely.乌鸦传媒�

In May, the Tk乌鸦传媒檈mlups te Secw茅pemc First Nation confirmed the remains of 215 children who were students of the Kamloops Indian Residential School had been found using ground-penetrating radar.