SouthShoreNow.ca

Life goes on - somehow

 On the eve of the first anniversary of the crash of Swissair Flight 111, it is appropriate to reflect on the tragedy and how it has forever changed the people of these communities.

 That the air disaster which killed 229 people has left a lasting impact on Nova Scotia, but more specifically on the South Shore, is evident on the faces of local people and in their words as they recall the fateful night of September 2, 1998.

 The date will be forever engraved in the memories of the men, women and children who inhabit the local communities which felt the direct impact of the crash. Small villages such as Blandford, Bayswater, Indian Harbour, Peggy's Cove and Hubbards have struggled during the past 12 months to put this tragedy into perspective. It has not been easy. It will continue to haunt the residents of these communities for many years, long after the lights of the world media have dimmed.

 No one could have imagined that such a disaster would ever happen here in our quiet, peaceful community. But at around 10:30 p.m. last September 2, the cruel reality hit home. Tragedies can and do happen anywhere, anytime. Their indiscriminate timing leads to many questions, but few answers. Now, as investigators work to explain why Swissair Flight 111 crashed into the unforgiving Atlantic Ocean near our coast, friends and family members of those who died that night are congregating in Nova Scotia to remember their loss and mourn the dead.

 The next few days will be sombre ones, not only for these visitors who have made the emotion-packed pilgrimage to our shores, but also for the hundreds of Nova Scotians touched by the tragedy. Many people deserve to be recognized for their unselfish contributions to the Swissair search and recovery effort, but it is impossible to name them all. Volunteers from throughout the province, officials with many agencies, everyday men and women reached out to do their part. To single out any one person or group would be wrong. It is commendable that when the provincial agency dealing with the Swissair memorials chose designs and wording for the monuments, the decision was made to recognize these selfless Nova Scotians, along with the dead.

 The memorials at Bayswater and Whalesback near Peggy's Cove, and also the services being held today and tomorrow, are fitting testimonials to those who perished in the plane crash, as well as to those who opened their hearts and homes during the months that followed. It will take years for the sad memories of this tragedy to subside, if indeed they do. Appropriately, however, the legacy of the Swissair disaster is not only a sad one, but is also one of inspiration and love.

 During a recent visit to the memorial sites at Bayswater and Whalesback, and then Peggy's Cove, the lasting impact of the Swissair disaster became obvious. Viewing the granite memorials with the names of the dead engraved in stark, black letters, is an experience that touches one's heart. It gives one an uneasy feeling to read the names and realize that so many people died simultaneously in a terrible accident that left their bodies broken beyond recognition. People at the sites that day, acknowledged the memorials gave them an eerie feeling that they could not quite explain. While all agreed that the memorials are tasteful and appropriate, some noted that such monuments remind people of their own mortality. A sobering thought, indeed.

 Moving on to Peggy's Cove, however, is a different experience all together. Gone are the hordes of reporters who clamoured over the rocks last September in search of a story or photo. Gone, as well, are the hundreds of dedicated volunteers who were on hand to lend support for grieving family members as they visited the site and who spent many painstaking hours on the recovery effort. Gone too are the crowds of sympathetic onlookers who sincerely grieved for those who died and reached out to their family members.

 In their places are hundreds and hundreds of tourists looking for the best angle of the famous lighthouse. It is painfully obvious that most of these people are not aware of the sad story that unfolded around these barren, weather-beaten rocks one year ago. It is business as usual for this tourist mecca, and in a way, perhaps that's how it should be. The loss of life that the Swissair disaster represents is a tragedy, but a year later we are reminded that through all the pain and suffering, life does go on - somehow.