New St. John's monument remembers victims of helicopter disasters

Hundreds of people were on hand in St. John's Monday night for the unveiling of a memorial to people who died in two helicopter crashes.

The sculpture on the edge of Quidi Vidi Lake commemorates a 1985 helicopter crash that killed six people in Placentia Bay, and the 17 people who died in the March 12, 2009 Cougar crash off the province's east coast.

Rick Morris's brother Greg died in the Cougar tragedy, and is a member of the committee that developed the memorial. He hopes the site will remind people that safety can't be taken for granted.

"My brother had been going back and forth on those helicopters for nine or 10 years without incident and then one day that all changed. So we got to make sure that we don't lose sight of those things and that all those men and women who are going back and forth supporting their families and making a living are safe," he said. 

The stainless-steel spiral includes the names of the 23 people who died in the crashes.

The province allocated $400,000 for the memorial.

Kevin Breen, whose brother Peter died in the Cougar tragedy, described the unveiling as surreal.

"It just takes you back there again to that day and I just reflected on him," Breen said of his brother.

The Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board (C-NLOPB), which regulates the offshore oil industry, issued a statement describing the monument as "beautiful and important," and said part of the legacy of the two tragedies is improved safety in the offshore.

"The symbolism and artistry of the monument bring comfort and cause us to reflect," said Scott Tessier, chair and CEO of the C-NLOPB.

“This monument is a moving reminder of the importance of offshore worker safety and safe helicopter travel in particular."