'It's just heartbreaking': Amherst, N.S. devastated after family of six killed in fire
Residents of Amherst, N.S. are grieving after a family of six was killed in a trailer fire on Sunday evening.
Residents said the loss of the family of two adults and four children is unimaginable.
"To think of a family completely taken by a fire, four small children, it's just heartbreaking," said David Kogon, Amherst mayor.
The family members who died in the camper trailer were identified on Monday as 30-year-old RJ Sears, 28-year-old Michelle Robertson, three-year-old Colin 'CJ', four-year-old Jaxson, eight-year-old Robert 'Ryder' and 11-year-old Madison.
According to a Facebook post by the Town of Amherst and Cumberland North MLA Elizabeth Smith-McCrossin, a memorial has been setup in Victoria Square where people can go to pay their respects to the victims.
"It really hits hard," said Kogon. "Things are bad enough when its adults but when its children, it's a tenfold increase in the sadness and the devastation. Not something anyone wants to deal with."
Smith-McCrossin said the news is devastating in a town that is very closely knit.
"You're either related or friends with one another and any time there's a loss of a child, in this community we've just lost four children, it hits home," said Smith-McCrossin.
Three of the four children lost attended school at Cumberland North Academy in Amherst.
The Chignecto-Central Regional Centre for Education confirmed the information in a post on Twitter on Tuesday.
In the Twitter post, the organization says, "Right now, our priority is to support our students and staff members of Cumberland North Academy where these sudden losses will leave a lasting impact on those who knew them."
School psychologists, as well as the student services consultant and school counsellor, will be at the school to provide any support needed.
"You have a whole school of children that have just lost friends," said Smith McCrossin. "You have teachers impacted, you have coworkers impacted."
Both Kogon and Smith-McCrossin say their hearts also go out to the first responders involved.
"This is really the worst case scenario that any of them (first responders) could ever experience in their job," said Smith McCrossin. "Life changing. Life changing for them."
Despite the heartbreak, Kogon says his community will step up to support one another through the difficult time.
"There will be great support as best that can be provided and that's emotional support, and I'm sure there will be financial support," said Kogon. "This community will really pull together in times like this. I'm very proud to say."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Rainfall warnings of up to 80 mm among weather alerts in effect for 6 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres and other alerts have been issued for six Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Bus plunges off a bridge in South Africa, killing 45 people. An 8-year-old child is only survivor
A bus carrying worshippers headed to an Easter festival plunged off a bridge on a mountain pass and burst into flames in South Africa on Thursday, killing at least 45 people, authorities said.