Ottawa bus crash: 1st funeral held for victim Connor Boyd

CBC News | Posted: September 23, 2013 11:59 AM | Last Updated: September 24, 2013

21-year-old remembered in community where he lived and was killed

Media | First bus crash victim mourned at funeral

Caption: Connor Boyd, age 21, remembered in community where he grew up and was killed.

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Carleton University student Connor Boyd, the first of Ottawa's bus crash victims to have a funeral, was remembered by more than 1,000 people Monday.

The memorial for the 21-year-old was held at Cedarview Alliance Church in Barrhaven, a few kilometres down the road from where an OC Transpo double-decker bus slammed into a Via Rail passenger train, killing six people and injuring more than 30.

His father Rob, mother Karen and sister Eliza stood shoulder to shoulder as the casket was carried into the church, marking the beginning of an emotional service.

"[He was] spontaneous, incredibly caring, wonderfully gifted," said his former teacher, Ron Williamson.

"He was called a renaissance man a number of times," he added.

"It was a real tragedy what happened, but I can honestly say that in the very short time I got to know him through high school he captured hearts and he had an impact on me and everyone else around him," said high school friend Ian Lockhart.

Running joke continued at memorial

Boyd was a third-year English literature student at Carleton who hoped to become a teacher. He recently spent time teaching English in Hong Kong.

Image | Connor Boyd

Caption: Friends and family are remembering Carleton University student Connor Boyd, who was one of six people killed in the bus-train crash in south Ottawa. (Facebook)

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His father Rob Boyd and others read excerpts from his journal, and spoke about his sense of humour and generosity.

Rob Boyd said Connor and Eliza both hated Fruit Roll-Ups and would leave the snacks in each others' pockets as a joke.

He added they would be getting the last laugh by putting a Fruit Roll-Up in Connor's jacket pocket in the casket.

Four more memorials set for this week

Details of the funerals for all six of the victims of last week's crash have been released.

The funeral information for each of the victims, in alphabetical order, is as follows:

Michael Bleakney: Visitation at the Kelly Funeral in Barrhaven, 3000 Woodroffe Ave., on Tuesday from 2-9 p.m. The funeral will take place Barrhaven United Church, 3103 Jockvale Rd., on Wednesday starting at 10 a.m. ET.
Connor Boyd: Funeral took place Monday at Cedarview Alliance Church, 2784 Cedarview Rd., starting at 11 a.m.
Karen Krzyzewski: Visitation at the Garden Chapel of Tubman Funeral Homes, 3440 Richmond Rd., on Tuesday from 3-7 p.m., and Wednesday from 1-3 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. The funeral is at Woodvale Church, 205 Greenbank Rd., on Thursday at noon with a reception to follow.
Rob More: Visitation at Capital Memorial Chapel, 3700 Prince of Wales Dr., on Wednesday from 5-8 p.m. and Thursday from 12-1 p.m. The funeral is Thursday at 1 p.m.
Kyle Nash: Visitation at the Kelly Funeral Home in Barrhaven, 3000 Woodroffe Ave., on Wednesday from 1-4 p.m. and 6-9 p.m. The funeral is at Cedarview Alliance Church, 2784 Cedarview Rd., on Thursday at 11 a.m.
Dave Woodard: A public funeral service is planned for The Metropolitan Bible Church, 2176 Prince of Wales Dr., on Oct. 2, at noon. Those attending are invited to wear green, Woodard's favourite colour.

On Sunday night, about 200 friends, relatives and strangers paid tribute to the victims, at a community memorial at the Cedarview Alliance Church in Barrhaven. Mayor Jim Watson also attended.

The service began with songs and hymns, followed by moments of silence for each of the victims, led by families and friends. Prayers were also said for the injured, first responders and the community in general.

City, police warn about Transitway memorial

The Transportation Safety Board is leading an investigation to determine the cause of last Wednesday's crash.

The city and Ottawa police, meanwhile, are reminding people not to drop off flowers or memorial notes on the Transitway where the crash occurred.

People are instead asked to drop off any tributes at Fallowfield Station.

"While we recognize and respect the desire of residents to express their condolences and grief, the Transitway is a bus corridor, reserved for buses and emergency vehicles," a media release said.

"To ensure that public safety is maintained, we wish to remind residents that pedestrian access to the Transitway is prohibited."