CASTLEGAR, B.C. — An organizer says hundreds turned out Sunday evening in Castlegar, B.C., for a memorial service honouring several young people from the West Kootenay community, including a local woman who was killed in a terror attack in London.
Deb McIntosh says Christine Archibald's family attended the peace and healing vigil and the 30-year-old's father spoke briefly.
McIntosh says she believes people walked away from the vigil "a little lighter in heart."
Archibald was from Castlegar but trained as a social worker in Calgary and worked in homeless shelters there before travelling to Europe to be with her fiance.
She died June 3 in the terror attack when three men armed with knives drove a van into pedestrians crossing London Bridge.
Eight people were killed in the vehicle and knife attack.
Archibald's family requested she be remembered for her kindness and community service, prompting the social media movement #ChrissySentMe as donations or acts of charity were made in her name.
McIntosh says there have been several unrelated deaths recently of young West Kootenay residents and the memorial was planned before Archibald's death.
"Chrissy brought it to the forefront but it was happening before that. That doesn't take away from her tragedy, of course, but Chrissy's tragedy shouldn't take away from the importance of what the others are feeling," McIntosh said.
"The speakers were wonderful and the attendees were emotional and things were heartfelt."
