The residents of Lac-Megantic, Que. are trying to pick up the pieces one week after a deadly train derailment brought life in the small town to a standstill.
Victims were honoured Saturday with a moment of silence, as the bells of Ste-Agnes church rang 50 times 鈥� once for each body that has been recovered and for every missing person who is presumed dead.
On the same day residents gathered at the church to mourn lost friends and family members, Manon Laprise celebrated her wedding.
鈥淚t鈥檚 beautiful, it is,鈥� she told 麻豆影视. 鈥�(But) we can鈥檛 stop thinking about what happened.鈥�
Laprise had considered putting the wedding on hold after the derailment forced her from her home for three days, but she decided against it.
Local barber Gerard Grondin said he returned to work a few days earlier than expected after some of his clients came knocking on his door.
鈥淢en wanted to come see me this morning,鈥� said Grondin, who鈥檚 been trimming and styling men鈥檚 hair in the small town for more than 50 years.
His brother also owns a business in Lac-Megantic鈥檚 downtown, which was worst hit by a series of explosions that followed the July 6 train derailment.
The area, dubbed the red zone, remains closed to the public.
The weekly farmers鈥� market that鈥檚 usually held in the heart of Lac-Megantic was relocated Saturday to a temporary location.
Vendors, however, said it鈥檚 difficult to stay open for business in the aftermath of the tragedy.
鈥淚 have nothing to sell today,鈥� organic food shop owner Lucie Pinard said.
Pinard said all of her supplies are at the store鈥檚 downtown location, which remains off-limits.
鈥淲e can鈥檛 go there to get our food or offer something to our customers,鈥� she said. 鈥淗owever, I am here to take orders.鈥�
Pinard said last week鈥檚 fire came right up to her back door.
鈥淐oming here this morning is something else,鈥� she said.
Another vendor, Marc Filiatreault, said everyone in town has been affected.
鈥淲e didn鈥檛 lose anybody close but it鈥檚 all second degree. We all know somebody who lost somebody close,鈥� Filiatreault said.
Officials said Saturday that five more bodies were recovered, bringing the official death toll to 33. Seventeen others are still missing.
With a report from CTV鈥檚 Genevieve Beauchemin and CTV Montreal鈥檚 Cindy Sherwin
