Air India victims remembered in Vancouver
Family members turn to charity work to overcome grief
CBC News
Posted: Jun 23, 2012 4:15 PM PT
Last Updated: Jun 23, 2012 5:15 PM PT
Related
Related Stories
Jagit Grewal shows her two-year-old grandson Devin Grewal where her husband, Daljit Singh Grewal, and his grandfather's name is on a monument honouring those who died, during a memorial marking the 25th anniversary of the Air India bombing in Vancouver on June 23, 2010. (Darryl Dyck/Canadian Press)Families of the victims of the 1985 Air India bombing are expected to gather at the memorial site in Vancouver's Stanley Park on Saturday evening.
Every year, family members hold a special ceremony to remember loved ones who died when a bomb aboard the plane exploded over the coast of Ireland, killing 329 people.
Only one man has ever been convicted for his role in the tragedy which has widely been believed to be the work of Sikh extremists.
"Some of these people have forgiven the bombers and some of them have found a purpose in their lives," said journalist Gurpreet Singh. "They're trying to help others by running free schools and hospitals for people in India."
Singh recently wrote a book highlighting how some families have channelled their grief into charity work abroad and in Canada.
"Some people are doing the same thing by living in Canada like sending sponsorships to baby children, whether in Ireland or anywhere in India," he said.
"Either way, it's very difficult for those people to do it. They're trying to overcome the hatred and anger, and ... [it's] a kind of pursuit for a positive energy, so something that's very inspiring."
The memorial is slated to begin at 6:30 p.m. PT at the Air India Memorial in Ceperley Playground in Stanley Park.
Share Tools
Latest British Columbia News Headlines
- Holmes Hydro can proceed without environmental assessment
- The B.C. Supreme Court has ruled that a hydro-electric development in northeastern B.C. should be allowed to proceed without an environmental assessment. more »
- British classic car show held in Vancouver
- Hundreds braved the drizzle to check out the annual All British Field Meet in Vancouver on Saturday, which showcased more than 600 classic British cars. more »
- Spectator killed at Edmonton Jeep event
- A 20-year-old woman died Saturday during an event for Jeep enthusiasts held in a parking lot just west of downtown Edmonton. more »
- Toronto Mayor Rob Ford cancels weekly radio show
- Toronto Mayor Rob Ford will not be hosting his weekly radio show this weekend after explosive allegations that he was recorded on video appearing to smoke crack cocaine. more »
Must Watch
Top News Headlines
- Senior Pakistani politician shot dead
- Gunmen in Pakistan have killed a senior member of Imran Khan's Movement for Justice (PTI) party outside her home in Karachi. more »
- Search continues for 2 missing New Brunswick fishermen
- A recovery effort has resumed for two missing fishermen off the coast of New Brunswick, after a distress call was issued from their boat early Saturday. more »
- Car drives into crowd at Virginia parade
- About 50 to 60 people were injured after a driver described by witnesses as an elderly man drove his car into a group of hikers marching in a parade in a small Virginia mountain town. more »
- Spectator killed at Edmonton Jeep event
- A 20-year-old woman died Saturday during an event for Jeep enthusiasts held in a parking lot just west of downtown Edmonton. more »
- Holmes Hydro can proceed without environmental assessment
- Public raising funds to buy alleged Rob Ford crack video
- British classic car show held in Vancouver
- RCMP has 'no interest' in discussing harassment suit settlement
- Spectator killed at Edmonton Jeep event
- First Nations chief asks to meet B.C. premier over pipelines
- B.C.'s largest Ahmadiyya mosque opens in Delta
- Police urge boaters to be safe on the water
- B.C. climber killed jumping to avoid falling rock

