Funeral services Friday, Saturday for seven Squamish residents killed in Sea to Sky crash
Todd Lawson
Chief Staff Writer
The entire community of Squamish was thrown into a state of shock and disbelief last Saturday (Jan. 31), as seven residents died in a tragic accident on Hwy. 99.
Balwinder Gill, 29, Karjit Dhillon, 21, Jasdeep Sandhu, 19, Balwinder Dhanoa, 30, Dalbagh Goraya, 64, Alexander Barbour, 52 and his son Ian Barbour, 16, died in a head-on collision on Hwy. 99 just south of Depot Road in Brackendale.
On Sunday morning, on the side of the highway near the crash site, a special memorial was created to honour Al and Ian Barbour, and the five Indo-Canadians killed on Saturday morning. Crosses were made and erected by Ian Barbour's close friends, and candles were lit amongst cards, flowers, poems and letters; as well as one of Ian's pucks and hockey sticks.
"He always wanted to resolve any problems right away," said friend Chad Essiambre. "He'd come up and pat you on the back and talk about it - he never wanted to hold a grudge."
Ian and his father were driving north on Hwy. 99, en route to pick up Ian's girlfriend, Taylor Cascanette, in Brackendale before heading off to a hockey game in Sechelt.
When he didn't show up, Cascanette began to worry and started to email him asking him where he was.
"He was always so positive all the time," said Taylor's sister Stephanie Cascanette, 17. "He always looked on the bright side of things - he wanted to see everything good for everybody."
Alexander Barbour was known in Squamish as Zandy or Al. He successfully managed AB Maintenance Systems in Squamish and Whistler. A caring man, Barbour gave his heart, soul and love to his family and friends and had a true passion for life.
Ian and Zandy enjoyed many cherished father-son times together through their mutual love of life and adventure.
A Celebration of Life Service for Al and Ian will be held today (Feb. 6) at 11 a.m. at Totem Hall, followed by a reception at 2 p.m. In memory of the Barbours, donations may be made to the Howe Sound Junior Hockey League or Squamish Community Services.
Members of the Sikh community in Squamish were dealt a strong blow which has left many people shocked and deeply upset.
"This is the worst night in the whole Squamish life," said Makham Sanghera, president of the Squamish Sikh Society (SSS) on Sunday evening (Feb. 1). "We lost seven pillars yesterday and the foundation of our society. It's a very hard time for us - all of these people are so loved here and in India and many other countries. Everybody is full of tears. We must share our grievance together and help each other through this terrible time."
"The Squamish Sikh society appreciates all of the personal and moral support from all people in Squamish," said SSS secretary Avtar Gidda. "We want to share our sorrow with the Barbour family. We feel very sorry for them and for everyone affected by this tragic accident. We want to thank the people of Squamish for standing by our side."
One of the main concerns of the Sikh Society involves obtaining special emergency visas for some of the family members who reside in India. They want a complete re-unification for all family members so that they will be able to grieve together.
They have requested and are appealing their plight to government and immigration authorities for special visas to be expedited to family members in India as soon as possible.
"All of the calls have been made and we are hoping to get cooperation from the immigration officials," said Sanghera. "We need to get the other family members here."
On Sunday evening, at the Sandhu family home - friends and relatives gathered together to hold a candlelight vigil and pray for Jasdeep and the six others killed in the crash. They joined outside and stared in silence at a recent photograph of Jasdeep, while candles flickered away. The silence was broken when Sandhu's close friends voiced their opinions about their longtime friend.
Many of Sanhu's friends were born in the same year, 1984, and had grown up together in Squamish.
"He was such an incredible guy," said Paul Sangha, one of Sandhu's best friends. "He didn't care what anybody thought, he would just smile and always have a good time. There was nobody that didn't like him - he's one person that did not deserve this."
Inside the home, nearly 50 people covered every square foot of the upstairs and pictures of Jasdeep were displayed on a table. His mother Inderjit and sister Jaspreet were being consoled by other women of the Sikh community.
"We all share the grief of every family who has lost loved ones," said Avtar Haer. "We must all help each other and talk about the good times in their lives. They have all lost loved ones and this is a very sad time but we will stick together through every moment and share their memories forever. They were all loving people, all part of the community. We'll miss them and our thoughts are with the families - we will pray for them one and all."
As is the custom in the Sikh religion, the bodies of the five deceased Indo-Canadians will be cremated. A memorial service has been planned for Saturday (Feb. 7) at 11 a.m. at the Squamish Funeral Chapel in the Garibaldi Highlands, followed by final prayers at the Squamish Sikh Temple at 1 p.m.
"This is the first time that such a large loss has come from people all from the same community," said funeral director George Mackenzie. "It's a form of disbelief that so many people can be taken so quickly - such a tragedy. But the community of Squamish has always helped each other to pull through this process. They're very close and support each other which is so important at a time like this."
