A year and a half ago, the roof of the Gourmet du Village warehouse collapsed in Morin Heights, killing three women.
Almost immediately the friends and colleagues of Barbara Elliott, Sharon Kirkpatrick and Marlyn Ofiaza started planning a memorial, one that is finally finished and in full bloom.
Lisa Carruthers and Amparo Cobelo wanted a memorial that would reflect their colleague's love for life.
They started by raising $1,500 to buy a fountain, then got the entire community to pitch in, and bring flowers from their own gardens.
"We went to do some shopping, Lisa and I. There were 35 people here, it was like a community garden, oh my God, and by Saturday night, it was finished," said Cobelo.
The garden is a small space filled with beauty, tranquility, and peace in memory of the three women.
"We just thought it would be a tribute for them to have the garden here, to try to bring good memories here, instead of always looking at the building and remembering what happened," said Carruthers.
One of the roses currently in bloom was donated by Sharon Kirkpatrick's husband.
Now people who have struggled to make it past the anniversaries of the three deaths say they are proud to have done something positive to pay tribute to their friends.
