Vigils held across Canada for victims of Beirut explosion

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — Multiple vigils have taken place across Canada this week to honour those who were killed, injured or lost their homes in this week’s massive blast in Beirut.

On Tuesday, hundreds of tons of highly explosive material stored in a waterfront hangar were ignited, and the ensuing blast sent out a shock wave that levelled Beirut, killing at least 160 people, wounding nearly 6,000 and defacing the city’s coastline, with hundreds of buildings destroyed.

In Vancouver on Saturday, a small group gathered at the Vancouver Art Gallery.

Among those attending the gathering was Vancouver City Councillor Colleen Hardwick, who says the scope of the devastation in the Lebanese capital is sobering, given that Vancouver is also a port city.

“I think many of us have seen those maps that show what the impact would have been if a similar devastation had happened here in Vancouver, it would have wiped out the city,” she said.

“We are staggered by the loss of death and destruction and I think everyone in the city should find a quiet moment to, you know, to acknowledge that great loss,” she added.

Earlier in the week, more than 50 people came together outside the Vancouver Art Gallery for a candlelight vigil.

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Vigils also took place in Toronto, Calgary and Montreal this week.

In Ontario on Saturday, officials from all three levels of government, business leaders and community members all spoke at the #LightsforLebanon gathering, expressing their grief and hoping that the tragedy could be a catalyst for change in the Lebanese community.

Many are blaming Lebanon’s ruling elite for the explosion, citing corruption and mismanagement.

“My biggest message to everybody here tonight is unity. Regardless of religion, regardless of where we live – whether it’s Toronto, Beirut, downtown or in the mountains – we will never be able to conquer the enemy without unity,” said Charles Khabouth, CEO of INK Entertainment. “Unfortunately for us in Lebanon the enemy is our leaders.”

“Unfortunately, these sorts of events are not new but something of this magnitude rocked the entire nation. We’re devastated, we’re angry, we’re upset, we’re saddened and we’re here to demand that change happens. The voices of the Lebanese people back home have not been heard,” said Julia Chakra, one of the co-organizers of the event.

RELATED: Lebanon information minister resigns in wake of deadly blast

And in Montreal earlier this week, people in the city mourned for Montreal businessman and Lebanese politician Nazar Najarian who died in the explosion.

Najarian worked in Beirut as secretary-general of Lebanon’s Kataeb Party. He regularly returned to his family Montreal, where he was also a successful businessman; He founded a Montreal-based import-export company in 2013. He was also an activist within Montreal’s Lebanese community.

“He created employment here in Montreal,” said Lamia Charlebois, another of Najarian’s close friends. “He contributed to the society here while being involved in NGOs here and there. He’s a good Christian. It’s a big loss.”

The federal government has said it will match all individual donations from Canadians to the Humanitarian Coalition – a group of 12 established aid organizations working on the ground in Lebanon – or to one of the coalition’s members, up to a maximum of $2 million.

Canada is directing all of its aid for this crisis directly to humanitarian organizations, not the Lebanese government, to ensure the assistance goes to those in need.