Remembering a 1954 drowning tragedy that claimed the lives of 12 Quebec children

When Gail Millington Grant saw nan plaque pinch her sister’s sanction and nan names of 11 different children, she was flooded pinch emotion..

“Finally, thing is there,” she said. “Finally thing is location for different group to spot and recognize what happened here.”

On July 13, 1954, 62 children attending nan Negro Community Centre time campy went retired for a picnic.

Some of nan children had been taken retired for a cruise connected nan Lake of Two Mountains successful Île-Bizard, but calamity struck connected 1 of nan rides.

“I was connected nan first boatload, and that 1 went and came backmost successfully,” said David Tagieff. “The 2nd 1 did nan aforesaid thing. My small sister was 1 that one. And nan 3rd 1 went out, and by that clip I was connected nan statement and I looked up and saw immoderate kids jumping retired of nan boat.”

Tagieff, who was past a 12-year-old oversea scout, rescued 2 of nan children.

But 12 others, ages 6 to 11, weren’t arsenic lucky.

“Two of my cousins, 2nd cousins of excavation died that day,” said Allison Saunders. “They had a related arsenic well, who was very very adjacent to my mom. My mom was present connected nan formation and saw nan mishap happen.”

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The calamity was moreover much achy for galore of nan families affected, because nan taxable was hardly discussed.

70 years later, a typical plaque honouring nan children has been installed astatine nan tract of nan tragedy.

“It’s important to stock that stock communicative coming and person a marker present pinch their names, truthful that anyone who comes to sojourn this spot knows what happened,” said Saunders.

And on pinch that awareness, galore present dream nan calamity spreads different message.. nan value of school children really to swim.

“Teach nan young ones successful schools aliases moreover aquatic centres – springiness lessons to nan children,” said Millington Grant. “And those who cant spend it, nan municipalities, salary for it. No 1 should not cognize really to aquatics successful this time successful age.”