'Beacon of light': Candlelight vigil held in Charlottetown for Lebanon

The field at Victoria Park in Charlottetown was lit up by candle and cellphone light Tuesday evening as part of a vigil to show support and honour those killed in last week's devastating blast in Beirut.

The explosion happened Aug. 4 when a highly explosive chemical used in fertilizers and stored at the port for years ignited, sending shock waves across the Lebanese capital. 

So far the death toll from the blast is over 170 with people still missing. Another some 6,000 were injured and hundreds of thousands have been left without a place to live.

The vigil in Charlottetown had more than 250 people attend and was organized by the Canadian Lebanese Association of P.E.I.

It included speeches, a video, poetry, a song before the lighting of the candles and a prayer.

When the candles were lit, it was an emotional moment for the event's master of ceremonies. 

"It felt amazing, to look up and see all that light shining back on us on stage," said Nick Tweel, who is also a member of CLA.

"Each beacon of light was like a soul that was out there shining, letting us know that we weren't alone. And it was pretty moving, let me tell you. It was good to see."

The CLA president said P.E.I. is home to a large Lebanese population, with some families calling Canada home for the past 150 years.

"We are part of the Island, we are part of the community. We consider ourselves Canadian Lebanese but we still have strong ties in Lebanon. Lots of family." said association president Fadi Rashed.

"When this bomb went off, everybody here felt it. We felt the rage, we felt the despair, the shock."

Rashed said the Island's Lebanese community wanted to stand united with the people of Lebanon and to show support on their Island home.

"We've been here. We've been business people. There's been mayors, premiers," said Rashed.

"I wanted to give everyone an opportunity to stand together and show their support for the people of Lebanon and to honour and remember the ones that have fallen."

The vigil was also an opportunity for some in the community to reconnect to their own roots.

Singer Nadia Haddad took the stage and sang a famous Lebanese song called Le Beirut by Fairuz.

"I have never sung in Arabic before. It's been my mom's dream. She has always been asking me to sing in Arabic but I have never had the courage to. I never thought I could," Haddad said.

She hurried to learn the Arabic song the day before the vigil. But in the end, Haddad said it was was worth it for the emotional reward of sharing the beautiful song with the community.

"Being born and raised here, it's not the most traditional way of growing up in a Lebanese home, for example, so singing this Arabic song kind of makes me feel back to my roots," Haddad said.

"It felt really emotional because I could see my mom and my relatives being so emotional with me and crying and I know how much it means to them."

She was accompanied by David Rashed on guitar.

The vigil came one week after the blast hammered Beirut.

Parts of the government have stepped down and those remaining have said a thorough investigation as to how the dangerous material was stored for so long in the port will take place.

Eight international medical teams were sent to help support the overwhelmed health facilities.

Those on P.E.I. were also raising money to help those hundreds of thousands displaced.

"We're looking at the Red Cross of Lebanon in particular and also a couple of non-government organizations that have boots on the ground —where we can try and maximize the amount of, you know, per dollar that's given that we'll get to the people that need it most in a super timely manner," Tweel said.

"That's very important to us to make sure that the dollars go to the people that need it and that it goes as soon as we can get it there."

The vigil was also a boost to the Island's Lebanese community to see how many people attended.

"A lot of love and a lot of compassion, a lot of togetherness, a lot of support, which we've always had here in our community,"said Paul Haddad, a member of the board of directors with the CLA.

"Growing up here all my life — it's always been that way and it's no surprise that there was such a huge gathering tonight and such huge support."

"When the candles were lit tonight, I looked around at the candles and all the people lighting the candles," Paul Haddad said.

"It felt like a part of the people that have lost their lives and the people that suffered and the people that are still suffering — It's just a light of hope ... for Lebanon and just to, you know, show our love for them and hopefully there will be peace there and stability."

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