A sand castle created on a Blind Bay beach on Canada Day was more than a work of art.
To its creator, Marc Dansereau, it was a memorial to his daughter Bernadette.
“We would go to the beach and spend time,” he says. “We did that over a number of summers.”
But in October 2014, six-year-old Bernadette was diagnosed with cancer and died in January 2015.
“It was terrible, but we have grown together as a family,” the father of six says.
Marc started building sand castles when Bernadette was small, adds his wife Patti.
“It reminds him of his precious time with Bernadette,” she says, pointing out that as hard as Bernadette’s illness and death have been, the support from the Roman Catholic parishes in Salmon Arm and Sorrento, and the general community, sustained the family. “One of the things we said all the time was, “I don’t know how parents who don’t have faith get through it. We know where she is, she’s free, she’s safe and she’s not sick.”
Patti says Marc now takes Catherine and two-year-old daughter Zoe on castle-building excursions, something that helps keep them connected to Bernadette as well.
“Sand castles are like rainbows; they’re there and then they’re gone,” Marc says, pointing out his creations are now all called Bernadette’s castles. “I think of her all the time. She’s somewhere very happy... We look forward to getting the tour of her favourite places.”
Marc began the process of building the intricate Canada Day castle on June. 25, but it was knocked down four times over the following week.
Undeterred, he made another attempt to build the castle that required 9,000 pounds of sand at 2 p.m. June 30, working until dark.
Neighbour and supporter Cory Smith guarded the castle overnight and Marc resumed building at 5 a.m. on Canada Day.
Marc always took photos of his daughters with completed sand castles. After Bernadette’s death, he used them to make a calendar for family members.
He then decided he could make calendars for a wider audience and has chosen to further honour Bernadette by donating the proceeds to Shuswap Hospice.
“Hospice does amazing work and when things aren’t well, there is someone to turn to, there is support,” he says.
Shuswap Hospice program/volunteer co-ordinator Judy Evans calls Marc’s fundraising calendar project an honour for the society that will also help raise awareness of hospice and the services the organization provides.
“To watch how he is honouring his daughter is huge, this is what we encourage,” she says. “It’s remembering the remembering; it’s how do you honour that, and he’s doing that on many levels.”
Evans says she is hoping hospice will be able to expand both training and services now it is located in new offices at 781 Marine Park Dr.
Marc will continue to build sand castles and relationships with his daughters.
As well, he plans to build castles in Centennial Park during Music in the Bay events and is working on putting together a workshop to teach others the fine art of sand castle building.
His calendars are available at Shuswap Hospice for a $20 donation.