Stabbing victim finds 'silver lining' in Brett Wiese's murder through memorial scholarship
Danielle Nerman | CBC News | Posted: November 15, 2016 6:04 PM | Last Updated: November 15, 2016
Colton Lewis honoured at Calgary’s Generosity of Spirit Awards
It's been nearly four years since Colton Lewis and his good friend, Brett Wiese, were stabbed at a house party in northwest Calgary.
Lewis spent three days in a coma — but survived.
Wiese did not.
On Tuesday, Lewis will be honoured at the Generosity of Spirit Awards for turning tragedy into a legacy for his friend by setting up a memorial scholarship in Wiese's honour.
'Positive light'
"I had two punctured lungs, I had a puncture in my aorta as well, multiple stab wounds to the back, and one to the face," Lewis told the Calgary Eyeopener.
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"You need to focus on the things that are important in life and the most important thing in life is love," Lewis said.
"I remember saying that when I woke up in the hospital, 'I don't have any room in my heart for hate.'"
As soon as he learned of his friend's fate, Lewis began hatching a plan to create a memorial scholarship for his university colleague.
Before the incident, the pair were studying at the Haskayne School of Business — so Lewis rang up the dean of the school, Jim Dewald, while he was still recovering in hospital.
"He actually came to visit me ... and I just suggested that we wanted to do something with the university to shine a positive light on Brett and the incident, rather than all the tragedy that had happened," he said.
"And the ball started rolling from there."
Outstanding Youth Philanthropist Award
Since its creation in 2013, more than 70 donors have contributed more than $200,000 to the Brett Wiese Memorial Scholarship Fund.
The first award was named a year later to a student pursuing a Bachelor of Commerce degree at the University of Calgary.
"We wanted the scholarship to be as true as possible to Brett and the ideal candidate would represent Brett with all the similar qualities that he had," said Lewis.
"Very genuine guy … athletic, dedicated student. Just an awesome guy."
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For turning tragedy into legacy, Lewis will be honoured over the lunch hour on Tuesday with the Outstanding Youth Philanthropist Award at the annual Generosity of Spirit Awards.
The event is hosted by the Association of Fundraising Professionals at the BMO Centre in Calgary.
"It's finding things like this with the silver lining," Lewis said.
"It gives me the opportunity to remember Brett for the type of person that he was and be able to talk about Brett on a positive canvas, versus all the negativity that transpired after the incident and through the trial."
A jury found Mitchell Harkes guilty of second-degree murder, attempted murder and aggravated assault for the January 2013 stabbings of Lewis and Wiese. He was handed a life sentence with no parole for at least 12 years and has asked the Alberta Court of Appeal for a new trial.
But the woman who actually made the final fatal blow that killed Wiese had her sentence reduced and will spend just four years behind bars, due to the fact that she was a young offender at the time of the incident. Her identity is protected by a publication ban.
With files from the Calgary Eyeopener