Aron Dunn stands next to the pathway on Boundary Bay Dyke, gazing out over the bay and the trail where his daughter Tori used to walk.
Tori, along with her boyfriend Trafford and their dog Cedar, loved exploring those paths, so it was the perfect place for the Surrey woman’s family to have a memorial bench installed in her honour.
Tori was 30 years old when she died after sustaining life-threatening injuries in her home in Port Kells on June 16, 2024.She later died in hospital.
Adam Mann was charged with second-degree murder on June 28, 2024, in connection with her death. The case is scheduled to go to trial in October.
Family and friends of Tori Dunn gathered at Mud Bay Park on Friday (April 10) to witness the installation of a memorial bench in her honour.
“I know she loved this spot, so it’s a beautiful sight,” Aron said.
The bench, which has a plaque that reads Dedicated to Tory Marie Dunn “Tori” sits alongside the pathway at a bend on the Boundary Bay Dyke trail that overlooks the bay.
Aron thanked the community for its support and said he would not be here today without them.
“The community has rallied around me and my family and Tori’s friends,” Aron said. “I realized how much she was loved by everybody. It warms my heart knowing she impacted so many lives in such a good way.”
Many reminisced about the kind of person Tori was. She was someone who would give you the shirt off her back, said one person. She was known for her kindness and for always giving back.
Aron added that, “She was thoughtful and kind and loving, and she went out of her way to make people feel included, and she loved the outdoors.”
She loved going on long hikes with her friends and exploring the outdoors.
She was also a smart businesswoman who started a local landscaping business, Dunn Right Landscaping Services. Her business’s Instagram account showed the care and dedication she put into her work, with many singing her praises in the comments.
Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke and MLA for Surrey-Cloverdale Elenore Sturko also attended the bench installation.
Sturko has been supporting the Dunn family since Tori’s death.
“Two years ago, we lost a member of our community, and it had a tremendous impact, not only on Tori’s family, her friends, her loved ones, those who miss her to this day continue to fight for justice for her,” Sturko said. “This is a family, to be clear, that has also fought for justice for our entire country, and in their extreme loss, they found strength in being able to fight for bail reform for our country.”
Aron has been pushing for bail reform in Canada since Tori’s death, alongside many politicians, including Sturko, Premier David Eby and the federal Leader of the Opposition, Pierre Poilievre.
In September 2024, B.C.’s Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General at the time, Mike Farnworth, called for a coroner’s inquest into the death of Tori Dunn.
The family also created a Facebook group, Justice for Tori Dunn, where people can be updated and share their journey “in seeking justice for Tori,” reads the group description.