Hundreds mourn at Walkerton, Ont., school vigil for teacher, students killed in crash
CBC
The small, southwestern Ontario town of Walkerton is continuing to mourn the loss of four teenage athletes and their teacher, killed in a multi-vehicle crash outside London last week while returning home from a softball tournament.
The deadly collision on Friday has left the Bruce County community reeling and has prompted an outpouring of support for their friends and family.
Hundreds of Walkerton residents gathered on Sunday night for a candlelight vigil outside Walkerton District Community School, the K-12 school where the teenage girls, aged 16 and 17, studied, and where 33-year-old Matt Eckert worked as a teacher and coach.
"It's an incredibly deep, deep scar this has inflicted on our community. It's going to take a long time to heal," said Chris Peabody, the mayor of Brockton, which includes Walkerton.
"We have, as a community, dealt with tragedy before, and small-town Ontario residents always rise up in the face of adversity and band together, and I know that will happen here."
While the identities of the teenagers have not been released by police, the Tara Twins U18 girls softball team identified two of the victims online as Rowan McLeod and Kaydance Ford.
"Our entire Twins family is reeling from this loss, and our hearts go out to the families, friends and teammates of these beautiful athletes," reads a Facebook post from the team, whose coach, it notes, is McLeod's father.
"This tragedy hits harder for this association knowing that they were returning from playing the very sport of softball."
Eckert is being remembered not only as a teacher in Walkerton but also as the Junior B assistant coach for the NorthStars Lacrosse Club in Owen Sound.
"Our organization is heartbroken and crushed to lose an important member of our family. Matt connected with our players on a level that is indescribable," a social media post from NorthStars' general manager, Ethan Woods, reads.
"His infectious smile and caring heart are things that will never be forgotten. We love you so much Ecky."
Flags outside the school and at other properties across the town have been lowered to half-mast. On Saturday night, many residents left porch lights on and running shoes outside to show support for the victims' families.
Ahead of the vigil, community members visited Walkerton District Community School throughout the day on Sunday to add flowers and other mementos to a growing outdoor memorial.
Among those stopping by were other students, including Jasmine Huber, 16, who wanted to pay respects.
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