Ceremony pays tribute to L’Isle-Verte fire victims
Posted Feb 1, 2014 9:21 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
L’ISLE-VERTE, Que. – Dignitaries and locals packed a church and paid tribute to the victims of the fire that killed up to 32 people at a seniors’ residence in the Quebec village of L’Isle-Verte.
They included Prime Minister Harper and Governor General David Johnston.
Pierre-Andre-Fournier, the archbishop of Rimouski, hailed the work of first responders in the tragedy as photos of many of the victims graced the church.
Twenty-four people have been declared dead and eight others are listed as missing.
Robert Berube, whose mother Adrienne Dube is one of the missing, travelled 500 kilometres from Montreal.
Berube says he can’t go through the mourning process until her body is recovered and added he will stay in L’Isle-Verte as long as it takes.
Others in the church included Premier Pauline Marois, N-D-P Leader Thomas Mulcair and Lac-Megantic Mayor Colette Roy-Laroche, whose community was devastated last July when a train carrying crude oil derailed and exploded in the downtown core.
Forty-seven people died in that tragedy.
