Funeral held for four-year-old boy killed in Laval, Que. bus crash last week
The sound of church bells rang out in Laval, Que., on Thursday as family and friends bade an emotional farewell to one of the two young children killed when a bus crashed into a daycare last week.
The bells of the Ste-Rose-de-Lima church tolled at 11 a.m. as five men carried the small white casket of Jacob Gauthier into the sanctuary. Tearful mourners trailed behind as it emerged a little more than an hour later, following a private service.
A funeral notice published last week said Jacob was four and a half and is survived by his mother, father, sister, as well as grandparents and other extended family.
Michel Bouchard, the parish priest, presided over the ceremony for a child he'd baptized as a baby just a few years earlier.
"When I saw the coffin for a child, it’s a small one," he told reporters after the service. "We had goosebumps because it’s a young boy."
Bouchard said he'd spoken to the family, who were devastated but "strong." The only thing they can do, he said, is to offer their child to God.
"This little boy will take care of his parents in heaven," he said.
He said the church pews were filled with Jacob's loved ones, as well as community members who had come to support the family.
Clemence Vachon, 77, said the touching ceremony included a singer who performed some of Jacob's favourite songs, as well as a choir and violins.
Speaking outside the church, she said she hoped that knowing the community was behind them "would be a support" for the family.
Media were asked to keep their distance as family and friends made their way into the church, past tributes of stuffed animals and flowers that were placed outside the door.
Four silver cars from the funeral home pulled up shortly before the service started, and men could be seen unloading large displays of white flowers.
After the ceremony, family members could be seen hugging and comforting each other. Two older women waved and blew a kiss toward the hearse as the doors closed with the small casket inside.
Samir Alahmad, the president of the province's private daycare association, said before the ceremony it is hard to describe the magnitude of the parents' pain.
"Every parent in Quebec, every citizen in Quebec, should feel the pain those people are suffering now," he said outside the church. "There’s no words to describe what the family is suffering today."
More than a week after the tragedy, "we still don't have an answer for how this happened," he said.
The alleged bus attack at the Garderie Éducative Ste-Rose on Feb. 8 left two children dead and sent six to hospital with injuries.
Pierre Ny St-Amand, a 51-year-old driver with the Laval transit corporation, was arrested at the scene and later charged with two counts of first-degree murder and seven other offences, including attempted murder and aggravated assault. His case returns to court on Friday.
Bouchard said a funeral for the second child, who was identified by her parents as Maëva David, will also take place at the church. The date for that service has not been announced.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 16, 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs to start for Canucks in Game 1 vs. Oilers
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs will start in net for the Canucks as Vancouver kicks off a second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers Wednesday night.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.