SouthShoreNow.ca

Mark Roberts
Lighthouse staff

 BLANDFORD - A memorial to the passengers and crew of Swissair Flight 111 should be simple and tasteful, Blandford area residents told Nova Scotia chief justice Lorne Clarke at a February 5 meeting in Blandford.

 Judge Clarke, who chairs a provincial government committee that will decide the final location and design of the memorial, said the memorial will reflect the tragic loss of 229 lives onboard the ill-fated jet and the volunteer efforts of Nova Scotians in the aftermath of the disaster. Swissair Flight 111 crashed into the sea September 2 off Bayswater.

 Residents - at least 120 of them packed into the District #1 Community Centre - were asked to fill out survey sheets. Input about fundraising and the location and type of memorial was requested. Possible locations noted were Bayswater, Cranberry Head, Whalesback, Blandford, Indian Harbour, Peggy's Cove and, "an island off the coast." The types of memorials include a monument, plaques, a building, a garden, a playground-recreation centre and scholarships-bursaries.

 Similar surveys have been sent to the families of the victims. One gruesome aspect of the process involves finding a resting spot for human remains that cannot be identified. Because of religious differences, they cannot be cremated. Interment options include: at or near the memorial site; or at an existing cemetery.

 A meeting was also held in Indian Harbour and another is scheduled for Halifax next week. Judge Clarke said he wants to stress, "There's nothing settled about this."

 Arguments were made to place the memorial on an island. Some residents objected, however, saying it would force family members to charter boats. Others said the memorial should be part of a museum incorporating Swissair Flight 111. Another suggestion involved putting a lighted buoy at the site where the airplane crashed.

 Eleanor Publicover spoke on behalf of a family that stayed with her last November. The family lost a son in the crash. "They asked me to speak for them if such a meeting should come up. They were very adamant. They did not want a monument on any island where no one could get to it unless you had a boat."

 She continued, "They would like to see some type of monument on this peninsula. They thought it was very beautiful. It could overlook from Bayswater the spot where it happened. They don't want anything elaborate; just a large piece of granite with a brass plaque on it with names. Simple, but something they could drive to, stop and see; something they can get to by walking or driving."

Blandford area residents advised Nova Scotia Chief Justice Lorne Clarke February 5 a proposed memorial to the victims of Swissair Flight 111 should be simple in design. Judge Clarke is overseeing three sets of meetings and a survey of the families of the victims to determine the location and design of the memorial. Many residents said a memorial should be erected on an undeveloped piece of crown land next to Bayswater provincial park. Shown standing is Chief Justice Lorne Clarke with, from left, Department of Natural Resources employee Lee Johnson and Blandford resident Marilyn Publicover.

 Numerous other speakers agreed the memorial should be simple and should be made of granite carved from the area. Residents also agreed the wishes of the families of the victims should be paramount.

 A small group of speakers want the memorial established at Bayswater provincial park, which is located only seven or eight nautical miles from the crash site near Pearl Island. A majority of residents, however, want the memorial placed on undeveloped crown land away from the main recreation area of the park.

 Bayswater resident Kerry Burke said, "I don't think we need in your face this is where sudden death occurred in an area where people come for relaxation and for recreation. We do need a quiet reminder of the tragedy and of the communities' heartfelt response. Remember, we're not the only community involved from around the bay and I think it has to reflect that tragedy and all those communities' heartfelt response to it."

 Blandford resident Marilyn Publicover said, "I stood there and you can see the site. It could be back so you can go by and not see it. It would be the loved ones that could go there and pay their respects and if you didn't want to look at it, I don't think you would have to."

 Blandford resident Phillip Publicover said, "I think to be appropriate there should be two small monuments, one on either side of the bay to recognize both the victims of the aircraft and the contributions made by residents on both sides of the bay."

 Bayswater resident Bernie Turpin said the crash shouldn't be commercialized, either by necessitating boat charters to an island or as the foundation of a museum.

 He noted a cleft in the rocks at Peggy's Cove where family members of the passengers left flowers, farewell letters, teddy bears and other items, as a natural memorial. He also thought Cranberry Head near Peggy's Cove was appropriate. "It's away from the hustle and bustle of what Peggy's Cove is about but it is still relative."

 A future meeting and plebiscite will be held in Blandford to decide how donations to the communities involved in the volunteer effort will be dispersed.

 Blandford resident Jane Moffat Schnare announced Swissair has donated $20,000 to the community and that a private Swiss fund called Help for the Helpers is growing in size. Examples of potential uses include scholarships, bursaries and a playground.

 Swissair spokesman Jackie Pash explained. "We gave it [the donation] to the Blandford area because they were very generous in helping us through this tragedy. It was purely a gesture to thank people for helping when we needed them."