Amherst organizing memorial for family that perished in camper fire
With pandemic protocols still in place across Nova Scotia, organizers in Amherst say they're working on plans to allow the largest amount of people to attend while still staying safe.
The heartbreak of those tragic deaths has seemingly been felt across the province and in an attempt to allow the community to grieve the losses together, a public memorial has been tentatively set for Friday afternoon in Amherst.
It was just over a week ago when the family of six were camping on family-owned land in Millvale, N.S. Thirty-year-old RJ Sears, 28-year-old Michelle Robertson, 11-year-old Madison, eight-year-old Ryder, four-year-old Jaxson, and three-year-old CJ all succumbed to the smoke and fumes created by a small fire inside the trailer.
A memorial that is open to the public will take place at Victoria Square in downtown Amherst.
In a brief conversation Monday, Cumberland North MLA Elizabeth Smith-McCrossin said an exemption to current pandemic gathering limits in the province was approved by public health for the event -- though the exact number of people allowed to attend is not yet known.
“The town is working with the funeral director and the family in an effort to maximize the number of people who can attend the event still respecting COVID limitations and restrictions because that can never be forgotten," said Amherst mayor David Kogon.
Current guidelines state a maximum of 250 people can gather outdoors with masks and social distancing.
Kogon says with the entire province mourning the losses along with the families, efforts are being made to ensure COVID-19 restrictions will be followed.
"It could become much larger than is allowed, so yes, our Amherst Police Force will be in the periphery and they will be keeping things under control," Kogon said.
Streets surrounding the park will also be closed to traffic to allow for less disruption during the ceremony.
The funeral home that has been organizing Friday's memorial says they're encouraging people to take part in the ceremony virtually, even if they're able to attend in person.
An online stream will be available and the funeral home's director say he hopes this option will help reduce in-person numbers and keep the gathering within COVID-19 limits.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Leafs star Auston Matthews finishes season with 69 goals
Auston Matthews won't be joining the NHL's 70-goal club this season.
Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar, papers left 'at her feet'
Donald Trump's legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president's criminal trial, refused to take it and walked away.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Doug Ford calls on Ontario Speaker to reverse Queen's Park keffiyeh ban
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Speaker Ted Arnott to reverse a ban on keffiyehs at Queen's Park, describing the move as “needlessly” divisive.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.