Tales of hope and resilience in the aftermath of tragedy
UNFORGETTABLE SAGAS, SCOOPS AND SCANDALS
from Toronto Life’slong-form archives |
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Dear reader, The country is grieving after an SUV slammed into the crowd at Vancouver’s Lapu-Lapu street festival last weekend, killing 11 people and leaving dozens injured. Among those killed in the unthinkable attack are a five-year-old girl and her parents, a teacher and counsellor, and two mothers in their 50s. The suspect, 30-year-old Kai-Ji Adam Lo, has been apprehended and will appear in court this month. Lo has a history of interactions with the police, was under the care of a mental health team and was on extended leave from hospital at the time of the massacre. The tragedy has spurred a heated national conversation about mental illness and criminal responsibility and prompted BC Premier David Eby to overhaul the province’s mental health act.
For Torontonians, the incident was a chilling reminder of the 2018 Yonge Street van attack, when Alek Minassian mowed down 23 people in broad daylight, killing 10 of them. Yet tragic events that show the worst side of humanity also bring out the best. This week, we revisit tales of the courage and generosity that emerged in the wake of that horrific day: stories from the first responders and bystanders who stepped up when our city was in crisis. For more great long-reads from Toronto Life, subscribe to our print edition here. |
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| —Madi Haslam, digital editor |
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Tales of hope and resilience in the aftermath of the Yonge Street van attack |
BY ALI AMAD, REBECCA FLEMING, MALCOLM JOHNSTON, MICHAEL LISTA AND RAIZEL ROBIN | MAY 8, 2018 |
April 23, 2018, was the first truly spring-like day of the year, and Torontonians were enjoying the sunshine. The horror began to unfold shortly after 1 p.m., when Alek Minassian, careening down Yonge Street in a white Ryder van, hopped the sidewalk and mowed down his first victim. Just over two kilometres later, he’d killed 10 people and shattered hundreds of lives. Yet the outpouring of love, support and courage that followed his brutal act proved to be a powerful antidote. Some reacted out of duty, others by instinct. All of them—the dispatchers who deployed emergency responders, the bystanders who performed CPR, the shopkeepers who opened their doors, the surgeons who worked through the night—did our city proud. |
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