MIDDLE ARM, N.L. — The skies above have been overcast, but there has been a much darker cloud hanging over the entire Notre Dame Bay region this week.
Three towns, including Middle Arm on the Baie Verte Peninsula and Triton and Little Bay Islands a little further to the east, are all coming to grips with the tragic loss of four lives from a highway accident near Robert's Arm Sunday.
In Middle Arm, teenage sisters Kathleen and Kaleigh Madore were being remembered fondly for the contributions they made to their community.
“The girls, when they came here, they developed friendships, fit in well with the kids here,” Middle Arm Deputy Mayor Morris Chipp told The Western Star. “It’s a hard blow.”
Bayview Pentecostal Tabernacle Pastor Gary Bartlett said the girls were well-loved members of the community.
One local, who wished to remain anonymous, said Kathleen was quiet and known for her artistic abilities. She was skilled in drawing portraits and people would often pay her to draw their likeness.
She also enjoyed playing music and sports.
Kaleigh was described as one of the “sweetest, most happy-go-lucky” girls you would ever come across.
Like her older sister, she was into sports and played volleyball.
Both girls were involved in student leadership at the school and helped organize events for holidays and different functions.
At the time of the accident, they had been preparing a Christmas café and were also organizing a cookbook that would include recipes from students.
Both girls attended MSB Regional Academy in Middle Arm. The Newfoundland and Labrador English School District had counselling services in place for the girls’ classmates in the days following the tragedy.
Locals said it was the first such tragedy the town had experienced since a car crash claimed the life of a local 19-year-old in 2012.
The girls had been traveling with their grandparents from Triton when Sunday's accident on Route 380 happened.
Cyril Winsor, 67, was also killed when their small car collided head-on with an SUV. His wife, 61-year-old Fern Winsor, is in serious condition in St. John’s. She was airlifted from hospital in Grand Falls-Windsor to St. John’s later Sunday.
Jerry Weir, the 61-year-old man from Little Bay Islands who was the lone occupant of the SUV also died.
The grandparents
In Triton, the impact was just as devastating.
Mayor Jason Roberts said Cyril was someone you’d bump into around town every day.
He described Cyril, who had been employed by his family for a number of years, as “very quiet and laid back”.
His wife has been involved in committees around town and heavily involved with the Pentecostal Church in particular.
Roberts said the town is there for whatever people need in their time of mourning.
“We gave back to people in time of need and hurt,” he told The Western Star.
Pastor Wayne Baker said everyone in the community is pulling together to help the family through the crisis.
Mayor knew SUV driver too
Roberts also recently became acquainted with Weir, a former teacher, who was the town clerk of Little Bay Islands at the time of his death.
He was also married to the town’s mayor.
In the last two years, the two towns had an arrangement where the Triton Fire Dept would service Little Bay Islands.
Roberts had been in frequent communication with Weir during that time.
He called Weir the “best kind” and said he was very “gracious” in their dealings.
Weir was in the midst of relocating from Little Bay Islands to Springdale at the time of the accident.
The entire community was resettling from Little Bay Islands by the end of December.
Services
A public visitation for Kathleen and Kaleigh is scheduled to take place at the Bayview Pentecostal Tabernacle in Middle Arm from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, followed by a public gathering at the tabernacle at 2 p.m.
A public visitation for Cyril Winsor will be held from 2-4 p.m. and from 7-9 p.m. at the Maranatha Pentecostal Tabernacle in Triton Friday.
The funeral service for all three will take place at the Maranatha Pentecostal Tabernacle in Triton Saturday at 1 p.m.
No details of services for Jerry Weir were available at the time of publication.
Fundraiser
A GoFundMe page has been created to assist the Winsor family and will remain open until Saturday. As of Wednesday morning, it had reached its target of raising $5,000.
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