City apologizes after dismantling approved teen memorial in southwest Edmonton

The City of Edmonton apologized Monday for mistakenly removing an approved roadside memorial to 13-year-old Adam Edhi, who was killed in a hit-and-run collision in September 2024.

Ellen Metcalfe, Edhi's grandmother, had worked with the city to find an appropriate location for the memorial roughly 250 metres from the crash site. The family placed it carefully to avoid blocking sightlines or obstructing traffic. In April, city employees removed it without contacting the family — and left its contents in garbage bags.

"That's how I handled my grief, and when it disappeared, it crushed me," Metcalfe said. "As a family, we felt violated. We worked with them to get approval for the memorial site, and they just took it away without even contacting us."

The removal stemmed from a 311 inquiry citing safety concerns. Staff reviewed the request and arranged removal on April 20, but failed to identify that the memorial had been approved in 2024. "Following the removal, it was determined that the memorial had previously been approved at this location in 2024. Unfortunately, that approval was not identified during the review process, and the memorial should not have been removed," a city spokesperson said.

The memorial was returned to the site on May 4, but again without direct coordination with the family — items were simply left at the location rather than handed back personally.

In recognition of the error, city staff are working to connect with Edhi's family to formally apologize and discuss commemorative options. The city is offering a free memorial through its commemorative programs for the first ten years, at no cost to the family. "Roadside memorials hold deep personal significance for grieving families," the city said. "We are reviewing the circumstances that led to these errors and identifying opportunities to strengthen our process."