They were friends, family, and each were living lives full of promise – hopes and dreams which, in the words of Michael Parsa, will now go unfulfilled following the tragic crash of Flight 752 in Iran last week.
The Aurora-Oak Ridges-Richmond Hill MPP, himself an Iranian Canadian, was among the hundreds to fill the field behind the Dr. Bette Stephenson Centre for Learning in Oak Ridges on Monday night to pay tribute to the 176 victims of the Tehran crash in a vigil hosted jointly by the York Region District School Board and York Catholic District School Board.
Organized by the school boards, in conjunction with the York Regional Police and the City of Richmond Hill, it was a way to honour and remember the lives of the several York Region students whose lives were cut all too short in the tragedy, as well as the lives of all others on board.
His voice cracking with emotion, Mr. Parsa thanked the community for the “outpouring of love and support” expressed by the community in recent days.
“Like many of you, I knew several of the victims of this tragedy,” he said. “Many of those on the flight were our fellow Canadians: they were our close friends and neighbours; they were good friends; young children. They were renowned engineers, doctors and students. They had bright futures full of promise. They had friends and family who loved them, who will always love them, and they had hopes and dreams which will now go unfulfilled.”
Joined on stage by his fellow area MPPs Daisy Wai and Stephen Lecce, he said the days of mourning since January 8 have been difficult to process.
“That's why we're standing here in solidarity on this cold January night to comfort each other and try to make sense of all this heartbreak and to remember our family, friends and colleagues. We must remember their contributions to the community, to everyone who knew them, and to the betterment of society through their leadership and hard work. What happened to those 176 innocent people is an unforgivable crime. It is so deeply disturbing that all those lives could be cut short in an instance and for no good reason. It is just so senseless and I am still stunned by it. Reeling from it. I am grieving for the loss of my friends and all the victims, and I am angry at the people who took them away from us. Now that the Iranian regime has admitted fault for this disaster, we must not rest until justice is served.”
This anger could be felt from many of the people in the crowd, some of whom were holding photos of family and friends killed in the crash as they placed candles and flowers on the front of the dais in tribute as dignitaries spoke – including Richmond Hill MP Majid Jowhari.
Mr. Jowhari, joined on stage by fellow MPs Tony Van Bynen, Deb Schulte and Mary Ng, said all Canadians were left “shocked and outraged” by the tragedy.
“We all share the pain and the anger,” he said. “Over the past six days, I, among my colleagues, have had a chance to hear from many of the families who lost loved ones. Every story is different, but every story shares the grief and the ongoing impact that the loss of their loved ones will have for many, many years to come. I want all the family members and loved ones to know that we are working night and day to support and put in place the structure to help you get the answers and justice you so richly deserve. You have the commitment of our Prime Minister and the entire government that will continue to support you today and in the future. After all, that's what Canada is about – a Canadian is a Canadian is a Canadian.”
His words, however, were not enough for some people in attendance who shouted, “Who do you blame?” When an answer didn't come, more shouts of protest were raised until event emcees – student trustees from both boards – introduced the next speaker, Mr. Parsa.
But Monday's vigil was a time to mourn and remember, a message underscored by representatives from both the YRDSB and YCDSB in their remarks.
“We grieve for you and with their families and friends,” said Maria Marchese, Chair of the YCDSB. “We grieve the losses to our community. So many of those young people who were only beginning to see just how much they would have to offer to the fabric of our community. It is our hope that you take some comfort in the presence of one another and in seeing so many people here this evening who mourn with you and are here for you.”
Added Louise Sirisko, Director of Education at the YRDSB, “I wish I could express and truly convey what it has felt like in schools as we think about the students lost and their families. It has been a very, very difficult, difficult week gone by. Quite honestly, this is unlike anything we have experienced here in York Region. This time in our lives, this event is going to weigh heavy on our hearts, on our schools and in our York Region community for a very, very long time to come.
“Our hope tonight is that we can come together in our sorrow and in love and care to help our neighbours, friends and community to heal and reach out our hearts and hands to those who are suffering most. On a cold night in January, you rode buses, you walked, you made time out of your busy lives to come together and to hold each other's hands, whether you are a student, whether you are a staff member, whether you're a community member, a supportive politician who enables us to come together as Canadians and Ontarians. We thank you so much for being here.”
By Brock Weir
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