Peace Pole unveiled at Rose Garden Hospice in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada
September 8, 2025
Arjun Pillai/Daily Herald Lisa Bos Atchison, past president of the Rotary Club of Prince Albert, gestures toward the newly unveiled Peace Pole during Monday’s ceremony at Rose Garden Hospice.
A new Peace Pole now stands at Rose Garden Hospice, marking the second installation of a Rotary Club initiative that began earlier this year at Little Red River Park.
The unveiling on Monday brought together Rotarians, hospice staff, and community supporters to dedicate the international symbol of peace in a setting focused on healing and compassion.
Ian Dickson, who works in community engagement and philanthropy at the hospice, said the pole is tied directly to fundraising that grew out of Rotary’s support for the Run for Rose.
“Rotary approached us in 2024 with $50,000 for Run for Rose, and that helped us raise about $150,000 in total to develop this outdoor,” Dickson explained. “It makes the hospice grounds more of a communal space. By tying into the Rotary Trail, it gives us visibility and helps more people understand what we do.”
For Rotary, the project is part of a series of four Peace Poles ordered for Prince Albert. Past president Lisa Bos Atchison, who started the initiative, said the hospice was chosen because of its values and connection to the Rotary Trail.
Arjun Pillai/Daily Herald
Community members, Rotarians, and Rose Garden Hospice representatives gather at the site of the Rotary Trail extension following the Peace Pole unveiling on Monday.
“The Peace Pole is more than just a monument. It’s a lasting symbol of hope, compassion, and reconciliation,” she said. “The languages inscribed were selected from the top census languages in our area, including indigenous dialects, to reflect the diversity of our community.”
The Rose Garden Hospice pole carries inscriptions in German, Arabic, Cree, Tagalog, Ukrainian, English, French, and Dakota.
The hospice setting gives the project an added layer of meaning, Atchison said, describing it as a sanctuary where peace and compassion align. Another pole is planned along the Rotary Trail later this fall.
For longtime community supporter and philanthropist Malcom Jenkins, the Peace Pole is one piece of a larger story of growth. He recalled helping fundraise for the hospice in its early days, when awareness was low and organizers had to work hard to explain what hospice care meant.
“People didn’t know what a hospice was,” Jenkins said. “Now it’s full all the time. It saves the health system money and frees up hospital beds. Everything about it is positive.”
Jenkins added that demand has reached the point where Prince Albert could use a second facility.
“Why don’t we build one more? We need it,” he said. “This one is perfect; we have need, and there’s demand. We’ve even started doing some prep and planning so when the time comes, the community is ready.”
As the Peace Pole joins the Run for Rose legacy at Rose Garden Hospice, organizers said it stands as a reminder that peace is not just the absence of conflict but a shared goal.
Etched in multiple languages, the pole carries the message “May Peace Prevail on Earth.” Peace Pole unveiled at Rose Garden Hospice as Rotary initiative expands.
By: Arjun Pillai