Civic ceremony to mark quake anniversary

A public civic memorial service will mark the 15th anniversary of the 22 February 2011 earthquakes.

The ceremony will take place at Oi Manawa Canterbury National Earthquake Memorial on Sunday 22 February - on the banks of the Ōtākaro Avon River at the corner of Cambridge Terrace and Montreal Street.

The minute of silence will be shared at 12.51pm, and the names of the 185 people who lost their lives in the earthquake will be read aloud with the HMNZS Canterbury bell tolled with each name.

“Deputy Mayor Victoria Henstock will lay a wreath at the Memorial Wall on behalf of the people of Christchurch, and the wider community will be invited to lay floral tributes after the ceremony concludes around 1.15pm,” says Christchurch City Council Manager Office of the Mayor and Civic Services Duncan Sandeman.

“We welcome all members of the community who wish to attend to join and reflect on the impact the destructive earthquakes had on our district and remember those lives that were lost.”

Oi Manawa Memorial was developed in consultation with those most affected by the disaster, including bereaved families, those who were injured, and first responders to the emergency, and was unveiled on the sixth anniversary of the earthquakes.