Vigils held across Quebec for Lac-Mégantic victims
Vigils in Lac-Mégantic, Montreal and in
other communities across Quebec were
held Friday night to mourn the victims of
last Saturday’s train explosion.
So far, 28 bodies have been found,
though only one of the victims has been
identified to the public. Twenty-two
people are missing and presumed dead.
About 100 people held candles and sat
silently at Place d’Armes in downtown
Montreal Friday evening.
Faces of the Lac-Mégantic tragedy
In Lac-Mégantic, a quiet vigil at Ste-Agnès
church started around 8 p.m.
Last Saturday, the small town in Quebec’s
Eastern Townships was rocked by a train
derailment and explosion that took out
most of the town's centre.
One of the vigils planned for Friday night,
at the Montignac high school, was
cancelled for security reasons.
Still, a number of residents showed up at
the church to commemorate the friends
and family members they and their
community lost.
8 victims ID'd in Lac-Mégantic,
coroner's office says
Lac-Mégantic Mayor Colette Roy-Laroche
said she was “very touched” by the
outpouring of support from other areas
of Quebec, though she encouraged
people to gather to grieve privately.
“We’re trying to survive, we’re keeping on,
life goes on,” said Patrick Champagne-
Madore, who attended the vigil with his
sister and two others.
He said it was important to him to
support his fellow residents through these
trying times.
The Ste-Agnès church bells will ring 50
times at noon Saturday in memory of the
50 victims, followed by a minute of
silence.
It will be followed by a benefit concert
from 1 p.m. to midnight at the Lambton
hotel, near Lac-Mégantic. Tickets are $5
