Drivers and front-line employees of several transit companies will cease operations for one minute Wednesday at 8:24 a.m., the exact time a bus driver drove into a daycare center in the Sainte-Rose district, killing two children and injuring six others.
“The entire large STL family has been greatly shaken by these events and this minute of silence is a way for our employees to gather and express their solidarity with those who have been affected by this tragedy,” explained Tuesday. the general manager of the STL, Josée Roy, in a press release.
On Wednesday, drivers from the STL, but also from the STM, exo, RTL and several other transport companies will therefore be able to observe a minute of silence if their situation allows them to bring their bus to a safe stop, for example stopping at the next stop. In the Montreal metro, “a sound message of sympathy will also be heard in the network,” the STM said on Tuesday. The industry thanks customers in advance “for their understanding in these exceptional circumstances”.
The STL also recalled on Tuesday that the still active investigation into this tragedy is ongoing, but “that it will not grant an interview on the subject so as not to harm” the work of the police.
At the Laval Police Service (SPL), it is specified that the accused, Pierre-Ny St-Amand, is now under the responsibility of correctional officers and the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions (DPCP). More information could nevertheless be transmitted to the population if and when the investigation progresses.
Thursday funeral
The names of the two young victims have been known for a few days. Jacob Gauthier, 4, was first identified in an obituary posted online. Officials at the Sainte-Rose-de-Lima church confirmed that his funeral was scheduled for this Thursday, around 11 a.m. Parish priest Michel Bouchard will preside over the funeral after baptizing Jacob about three years ago, he said.
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PHOTO PROVIDED BY FAMILY
Jacob Gauthier was four years old.
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PHOTO PROVIDED BY FAMILY
Maeva David was five years old.
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The parents of the second victim, the young Maëva David who was five years old, also confirmed on Monday that a ceremony in her honor will take place soon. In a letter sent to the media, Jessica Therrien and Nicolas David said they felt “deep pain and affection” for all those affected directly or indirectly by the tragedy.
“She will continue to shine in her own way through what she has taught us, day by day, through the indelible memories she bequeaths to us as well as through the lessons learned from the unspeakable event that made her little heart stop… but that will not prevent him from remaining our little Shooting Star forever, ”wrote the two parents in particular, not without emotion.