Art room dedicated to slain teacher

Friends and colleagues of Paula Gallant have created a memorial for her in the Halifax-area school where she taught.

Gallant's body was found in the trunk of her car outside the school last December.

More than 200 people gathered Wednesday night at Beechville-Lakeside-Timberlea Elementary School to officially open Paula's Place, formerly an unused industrial arts room and now decorated with her art.

"This just completely reflects who she was as a person," said Lana Kenny, Gallant's older sister.

"She saw the beauty in everything, and as tired and uninspiring as this room was prior to her death, she would have continued to allow the children to come in here and be inspired in the same manner."

The 36-year-old new mother left her house on Dec. 27, 2005, to go shopping. Her family reported her missing at 10 p.m. About two hours later, a relative spotted her car and called police.

Her killer has not been caught.

The memorial tothe Grade 3 teacherwas unveiled on the National Day of Commemoration and Action on Violence Against Women, the anniversary of the Dec. 6, 1989, massacre when a gunman killed 14 women in Montreal.

People who gathered to see Paula'sPlace also shared stories about Gallant.

"What I leave here tonight with is that sense of how important each one of our lives is, and how important Paula Gallant's life was to this school, to you, to an area and to a province," said principal Doug Pickup.

"I honour that tonight."

Kenny and Gallant's other sister, Lynn Gallant-Blackburn, said they didn't want to talk about the murder investigation.

But they hope the province's recent announcement of a $50,000 reward for information to catch her killer will encourage someone to come forward.