Premier François Legault tried to reassure and comfort the residents of Amqui, Que., Thursday, just days after a pickup truck slammed into pedestrians on the main street of the rural town on the Gaspé peninsula.
He and Mayor Sylvie Blanchette called for members of the community to return to their daily lives and not be afraid of the street where the crash occurred.
“Let’s not let madness triumph over hope. We have to be able to find our joy. Life is beautiful, Amqui is beautiful … Yes, there is a period of grief but after that we need to be courageous, to find the joy in life. We are all with you,” said Legault.
The premier, who had invited opposition politicians to join him on the visit, shook hands with residents and hugged the brother of Gérald Charest, 65, who was killed alongside another local, Jean Lafrenière, 73.
A total of nine other people were injured on Monday in what police say was a deliberate act.
In addition to pledging more mental health support for individuals in the town, Legault said he feels the weight of this tragedy — especially following another deadly crash in Laval, Que., at a daycare on Feb. 8.
“We have difficulty finding words, we feel a bit responsible. And I am the first to wonder what more we could have done — we have to do — for mental health. It’s not always easy because people have to accept help, sometimes we have to force this,” said Legault.
“But we have to think about the victims, their families and the entire population who are affected because in the next few days we cannot let anyone feel alone or isolated.”
Yolaine Lacombe, an Amqui resident, shook Legault’s hand and spoke with other officials. She says she felt like they took the time to hear what residents want to see change.
“The visit is comforting. They are not here for politics, they’re here for a good reason. And I explained to them that we lack resources,” said Lacombe, adding that they need more mental health support. “It’s prevention, that was missing.”
Chatting with other locals such as Pauline Parent and Roselyne Tremblay, who walk the boulevard together every day, Legault, the mayor and Pascal Bérubé, the MNA for Matane-Matapédia, made their way along the exact route the pickup truck took down the town’s main street, Saint-Benoît Boulevard.
Chantale Lavoie, prefect for the Matapédia municipal regional county, greeted Legault upon his arrival and said the section of the boulevard was chosen for Legault’s visit for a reason.
“The last victim was just here,” said Lavoie, pointing to the bench where Legault placed flowers to honour the victims.
“Honestly I think today has been the hardest day. It’s probably the ceremony, the fact that we are on the scene of the crash … We have to turn the page.”
Walking along the sidewalk, Lavoie greeted residents on the boulevard. With the premier at her side, she met the brother of Gérald Charest, who was killed. She said she was overcome with emotion meeting a member of his immediate family.
“I left the line and went to see him. I had to. I gave him a hug,” said Lavoie.
“We are like this, Matapédiens … we have no words, we cannot say anything sufficient, but the affection we can show each other is important. I said to people we have cold hands today but we have warm hearts.”
The town is preparing to hold a vigil on Thursday evening and a mass to honour the victims on Friday.
The driver of the truck has been charged with two counts of dangerous driving causing death, with more charges expected in the future, according to the Crown.
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