Vigil held in Calgary to mourn victims of double homicide
Posted Jan 4, 2025 11:45 am.
Last Updated Jan 4, 2025 11:50 am.
Nearly a hundred Calgarians braved the cold to celebrate the life of a young mother of three and her father who were victims of a double homicide in the city’s northwest.
It happened Sunday in the city’s northwest when Calgary police allege the husband of 33-year-old Ania Kaminski, Benedict Kaminski, killed both her and her father, 71-year-old Stanislaw Wardzala.
Benedict was found dead Monday near his car after a manhunt and a dangerous person alert was cancelled.
Calgary police have said they believe the incident is both targeted and domestic.
The brother and son of the two, Peter Wardzala, told CityNews his sister was planning on leaving her husband after a dispute escalated at a Christmas dinner.
Watch: Brother of Calgary’s double homicide victim shares what led to the murders
Ania’s neighbour and vigil organizer Sarah Gustafsson says she put the vigil together after many people reached out, saying they wanted to do something to show their love and support.
“I had a lot of friends within the community reach out and say that they wanted to do more,” she said.
She, like many others there, feels her death was a senseless tragedy.
“She was a teacher, she was dedicated to her church, the Polish community,” she told CityNews.
“Everyone loved her.”
Ania taught grades 1 and 2 at Elizabeth Barrett Elementary School and Ecole Edwards Elementary School in Airdrie. She also worked at Springbank Community High School for a few years.
Another neighbour of Ania’s says she knew the family for many years, even spending time watching Ania and Peter when they were children.
“I’d never thought in a million years something like this was going to happen,” she said.
“It’s shocking, it’s really shocking.”
She says she hopes this tragedy helps spread awareness on the issue of domestic violence.
“It’s like taboo, no one talks about domestic violence because it’s taboo. That’s one of the biggest problems,” she said.
Only about 30 per cent of domestic violence cases in Alberta are reported, Kim Ruse, CEO of Fear Is Not Love in Calgary, told 660 NewsRadio earlier in the week.
She also says there are a few early signs that indicate the beginning of a cycle of abuse, like insults, name-calling, and coercive, controlling types of behaviour.
A GoFundMe set up by Ania’s friend on behalf of her mother to support her three children has raised nearly $300,000 as of Saturday morning.
With files from Jayden Wasney and Dione Wearmouth
