Hundreds of mourners gathered at the DeCoste Centre in Pictou, N.S. on Sunday to pay their respects to beloved Pictou County fiddler Fleur Mainville.
Mainville was first diagnosed with carcinoid cancer in 2008. She married shortly after her diagnosis and she and her husband, Andrew Heighton, adopted two children in April.
But the cancer returned in September 2014 and Mainville passed away Wednesday, at the age of 37.
The radio host, fiddle teacher and farm market manager has long been a household name in Pictou County. Her friends said she was known for her bright smile and warm personality and will be remembered for her legacy of music.
“She touched so many lives here and was an astonishing talent, in terms of her music, but it was really her generous heart and her volunteerism, her charisma,” said Central Nova MP Peter MacKay. “She was somebody that was just universally admired.”
“Her ability to singlehandedly keep the fiddle alive here in Pictou County and keep children involved and interested in the fiddle and her ability to just connect with those children, and there’s hundreds of them,” said friend Carlton Munroe.
Mainville’s friend Ashley George was among several musicians who played at her public visitation Sunday.
“I played with Fleur so many times…it’s just an honour to be playing here today for her,” said George.
During her illness, the daisy became a symbol of Mainville’s spirit and some mourners donned the flower as they paid their respects.
“I just could not come here without this on my shoulder because, even though we’re all sad, my heart, I cannot explain how I felt the last few days,” said friend Donna MacIntyre. “It represents Fleur and just her open personality and her love of life.”
With files from CTV Atlantic's Dan MacIntosh
