The lives of 12 children who died in a tragic boating accident in 1954 were remembered in a ceremony at the Union United Church on Sunday.
The drowning happened on July 13, 1954. The 12 children were members of Montreal’s Negro Community Centre on a camp day trip to the Lake of Two Mountains. Seventeen children were onboard a boat that capsized in choppy water, with some kids panicking and jumping overboard.
Only five children survived.
Delia Walton saw the incident, which claimed the lives of her twin sister Doreen and cousin Estelle, happen. Doreen was eight-years-old at the time and Estelle was 11.
“It never goes away,” said Walton. “I was a little girl sitting on the beach watching everything unfold. I’ll go to my grave with that.”
Gail Millington Grant was two-years-old at the time. Her six-year-old sister Paula was onboard the boat. She said it took decades before many of the families could even talk about what had happened.
“What’s important to me is the memory, the healing, coming together and just remembering them and honouring them,” she said. “Nobody talked about it when we were growing up. In fact, we weren’t allowed.”
Kathy Grant, whose father was one of the camp’s counsellors, said the anniversary still haunts her.
“He kept all of the material associated with the drownings. Everything,” she said. “He wanted to make sure we never forgot. He made sure we went to swimming classes, that was important to him.”
Some family members have formed a committee dedicated to looking at permanent ways to honour the 12 children and to prevent future tragedies. Grant said they want authorities to do more to prevent future drownings.
“My main objective besides this is that the school boards will make it mandatory that swimming be taught in phys. Ed class as part of the school program,” she said.
