Though last Saturday’s Lac-Megantic train derailment happened about 2,500 kilometers east of Winnipeg, the tragedy still hit close to home.
Dozens of Winnipeggers gathered at St. Boniface Cathedral Friday evening at a public vigil hosted by the Old St. Boniface Residents Association. The crowd lit candles and held a moment of silence.
Two women who moved to Winnipeg from Quebec shared their stories about the tragedy-stricken town.
Claudette Clusiault has relatives in Lac-Megantic, including a cousin with a daughter among the more than 20 people missing in the wreckage.
During the candlelight vigil, she says, “"I was trying to just focus on the light. Because I think that's what has to be kept in mind, to just stay with the light, and that's the road ahead."
Josee Begin also had relatives who lived in the town. She says she’s pleased people in Winnipeg are standing in solidarity with those in her home province.
"My heart, my roots is there, and I'm very touched,” says Begin. “I'm blown away about what happened, I'm still in shock, I really am."
Begin says she’s upset the tragedy could have been prevented, and she hopes the incident brings changes to the rail industry.
Several other places across Canada and the eastern United States held similar services Friday evening.
