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Families find some solace in pilgrimage to Peggy's Cove

Theresa Hawkesworth
Lighthouse staff

 PEGGY'S COVE - Karen Morgan lost her sister and brother-in-law in these waters, but still finds beauty here.

 Standing on the rocks near the lighthouse at Peggy's Cove for the first time, she faces the place where Swissair Flight 111 crashed into the ocean last September 2. Somehow, she finds some solace there.

 And she's not alone. Mrs. Morgan is surrounded by hundreds of people who share her grief. Arriving by bus, following a dedication of the memorial at Whalesback last Wednesday, they made their way down a winding path to where the rocks meet the water. Some threw flowers into the ocean, while others comforted each other or sat in silent remembrance.

 "It has been good to be with the other families," said Mrs. Morgan, who made the trip from Connecticut with her husband Jay, their two children and several other family members for ceremonies marking the one year anniversary of the tragedy. But she does plan to return to Nova Scotia to mourn privately. "I want to come back when there are not as many people. It's so beautiful here."

 While most family members who chose to visit Peggy's Cove following the service avoided the media, a few took the opportunity to thank Nova Scotians for their efforts following the crash.

 Mary-Lou Clements-Mann of Texas, who lost her son, AIDS researcher Johnathan Mann and his wife, thanked Canadians for their love and consideration.

 "I think the people here have done everything humanly possible that they can to help," she said.

 Peggy Coburn, who lost her husband Richard when the MD-11 fell into the ocean a year ago, has travelled to Nova Scotia from New York four times since then and said each visit lifts her higher out of her grief.

 "I feel more spiritual; more connected to humanity," she said.

 Allain Morero and his wife were in Nova Scotia for the third time since the crash that killed their sons Marc-Antoine and Jean-Phillippe. He thanked Nova Scotians and those who worked on the recovery effort, the province's medical examiner Dr. John Butt and Swissair.

 Swissair president Jeffrey Katz also spoke briefly to media. He said the anniversary marked a milestone which he hoped would help those affected by the tragedy to move forward in a positive way.

 "We'll continue to do what we can to support the investigation as it continues and to support the families who lost ones they loved," he said.

 Earlier in the day, as media awaited the arrival of family members, tourists continued to visit the world-famous site.

 Robert Hansen and his wife of Boxford, Massachusetts, dropped by Peggy's Cove during a three-day vacation in Nova Scotia last week. They were joined by Jim Butler and his wife of Arkansas. A retired employee of the Federal Aviation Administration, Mr. Butler had followed news about the recovery and investigation with interest.

 "It was so unusual because Swissair is like Air Canada. They just don't have accidents," he said. However, neither man realized they were making the trip on the first anniversary of the crash until they saw the news vans and satellite trucks parked at Peggy's Cove.

 Members of the media had been waiting at the site for several hours in anticipation that some family members would want to speak to them there. Access to the day's other services was highly controlled.

 Patricia Diermeier of the television station RTL Schweiz in Switzerland which opened three weeks ago, was among the reporters at Peggy's Cove. She arrived in Nova Scotia August 25 to interview some of the people impacted by the crash, including fishermen who helped in the early recovery efforts and Miles Gerety, head of the families' association.

 She now understands how much the people of Nova Scotia gave of themselves in the months following the crash and said she'll take that message back to Switzerland.

 "All Switzerland feels for the people who are here now," she said.

 Upper left: Friends and relatives of the 229 people who died when Swissair Flight 111 crashed into the ocean a year ago search for solace among the rocks at Peggy's Cove September 1 following a dedication of the memorial at Whalesback a few kilometres away.

 Upper right: Many family members of the victims of Swissair Flight 111 were once again overwhelmed by their own thoughts.

 Lower left: Approximately 20 members of the Morgan family from Connecticut were bolstered by Nova Scotia's old-fashioned hospitality as they grieved the loss of two of their loved ones. From left are Jay with baby Mayla, Karen and Jaren. Mrs. Morgan lost her sister and brother-in-law in the crash.

 Lower right: Some relatives tossed flowers into the sea off Peggy's Cove near where the crash occured.

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Sep 8, 1999

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