Funeral held for 4½-year-old boy killed in Quebec daycare crash
Jacob Gauthier is one of 2 children killed last week when Laval bus plowed into daycare
Family and friends of one of the two young children killed last week when a transit bus crashed into a daycare in Laval, Que., gathered for the boy's funeral on Thursday.
The service for four-and-a-half-year-old Jacob Gauthier was held at the Sainte-Rose-de-Lima church, about two kilometres from the site of the incident.
A funeral notice published last week said Jacob is survived by his mother, father, sister, as well as grandparents and other extended family.
Two children, including Jacob, died when the bus drove into the entrance of the Garderie Éducative de Sainte-Rose daycare last week. Six other children were injured in the incident, which sent shockwaves across the country.
Father Michel Bouchard described Thursday's ceremony as "moving," and said the church was filled with people who wanted to show support to the grieving family.
"I've done a lot of funerals in my life, but not a lot with children that young," said Bouchard, who has been a priest for 31 years. He baptized Jacob a few years ago.
Samir Alahmad, the president of the province's private daycare association, was among those who attended the funeral.
"There's no words to describe what the family are suffering today," he said. "Every parent in Quebec, every citizen in Quebec should feel the pain those people are suffering now," said
In the days that followed the deadly crash, vigils and church services were organized to mourn the victims.
The lights at Montreal's city hall, the Olympic Stadium and the CN Tower in Toronto were turned off in memory of the children who died. The following day, the flag of the National Assembly flew at half-mast.
Pierre Ny St-Amand, a 51-year-old driver with the Société de transport de Laval, 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.
Funeral details for the second child, who was identified by her parents as Maëva David, have not been announced.
With files from The Canadian Press