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ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - Premier Danny Williams said Friday was a sad day in the history of Newfoundland and Labrador as people mark the first anniversary of a fatal helicopter crash.
Seventeen people died when Cougar Flight 491 slammed into the ocean off the province's east coast on March 12, 2009. In a statement, Williams said deep sorrow remains in the hearts of everyone in the province as they recall the crash.
He called it a "profound tragedy" that shook the province and changed countless lives.
Williams said his thoughts were with the families "who continue to mourn the unimaginable loss they experienced on this day one year ago."
Defence Minister Peter MacKay, who is also the regional minister for Newfoundland and Labrador, extended his sympathies on the anniversary of the tragedy.
"A year has passed already, but the feelings of shock and grief we experienced at first news of the tragedy remain fresh in our hearts," he said in a statement.
"Newfoundlanders and Labradorians are joined today by Canadians everywhere in solemn remembrance of those lost."
A makeshift memorial for the victims of the crash was restored outside the chain link fence at Cougar's base near the St. John's airport.
At one point, about a dozen energy workers in orange immersion suits paused briefly at the memorial before boarding a helicopter headed for the offshore rigs.
Numerous messages have been attached to floral arrangements, much like a year ago in the days immediately following the crash.
Gerald Lodge, an uncle of John Pelley, a 41-year-old medic who died in the crash, said his family remains emotionally raw one year later.
"They say time heals, but it's not very easy," he told NTV. "It's hard to believe it's been a year. It still seems really fresh in our minds and we're still having a hard time coping ... We talk about John as if he was there with us. It's hard. We miss him."
Later in the day, a memorial mass was held in St. John's at the Basilica Cathedral of St. John the Baptist.
"We've come to pray with the family, friends and relatives of those who lost their lives a year ago today ... It's with heavy hearts and a great sense of loss that we've come together," the basilica's pastor, Rev. Charles Kelly, told the interfaith service.
"We gather to find comfort, strength and solace in our faith, in our community, in our family and with our God."
The service was marked by a moment of silence and a ceremony that involved the lighting of candles as the name of each victim was read aloud.
