'A goofy, lovable guy': Family mourns loss of Danny Beale in Eastway Tank explosion
Outside Eastway Tank is a growing memorial to the victims of the explosion that killed one and left another five missing and presumed dead.
Hats, flowers, and photos are hanging on the fence just metres from one of the most deadly industrial accidents in Ottawa history.
Among them, a trio of bouquets, soft white flowers poking through Monday’s snow, and the picture of a young boy on his mother’s lap; the words “RIP Danny” written in blue marker.
“It all doesn’t seem too real to me, you just think you’re going to wake up one day and all of this was just a dream,” Jacqueline Beale, Danny’s twin sister said Monday.
The 29-year-old from Deep River, Ont. was the youngest in a family of five, if only by a matter of seconds, but to his sisters, Danny was their baby brother.
“He’s just a very sweet kind - I still want to call him a boy; he’s a big 6’2 man - but he’s a big teddy bear,” Jacqueline continued. “He’s this kind, goofy, lovable guy, like no one can say anything poorly of him.”
A tinkerer turned electrician, Danny worked on the large trucks at Eastway Tank, a skill he’d spent years acquiring through time with his father.
“I always remember him taking apart little engines and tinkering around with things, he got that from my dad, my dad’s a mechanical engineer, and they loved to look at things and put things back together,” Jacqueline said.
Beale was also an avid outdoorsman, a picture of his beaming smile as he holds up a prized fish is affixed to the Eastway Tank sign, but it’s the time at the family’s hunt camp on the Madawaska River that his siblings will treasure.
Danny Beale, 29, died in the explosion and fire at Eastway Tank in Ottawa on Jan. 13, 2022. He was an avid outdoorsman, according to his family. (Photo courtesy of Jacqueline Beale)
“He loved fishing, he was passionate about that, if he could be out fishing, that’s where he would be. He gave [his niece] her first fishing rod,” Jacqueline said.
A loving son and brother, Danny was also the proud uncle of a three-year-old niece; always eager to spend time with her, his own childlike exuberance shone through when they were together.
“My daughter didn’t care for me at all when Danny was around, it was like see you later mom, Uncle Dan is here,” Jacqueline continued. “My favourite memories are just watching Danny and my daughter be together because I had the chance to experience him throughout my years and now Olive got to experience that.”
Danny Beale, 29, died in the explosion and fire at Eastway Tank in Ottawa on Jan. 13, 2022. His twin sister Jacqueline says he was a proud and beloved uncle to his niece. (Photo courtesy of Jacqueline Beale)
Beale’s passing was a shock to the family, made more difficult by the horrific cause of his death and the lack of information surrounding the explosion. Sunday, Danny’s family drove to the Eastway Tank site to pay their respects.
“To be at the place where he last was was really hard. Everyday we get new information and then we have to process that and I think all of us are still trying to process the original blow of losing him,” Jacqueline said.
But the connection between twins is strong, and one Jacqueline says she doesn’t worry about losing.
“If he’s around and listening, I feel him wherever I go. I’ve always felt that. He’s one of those people where even though I knew he lived across Canada, I was always looking for him around me and I don’t think that’s ever going to change, and that’s comforting for me,” she said.
Beale is one of the five victims still missing, investigators yet to identify four human remains found at the site of the explosion. It’s a situation that only adds to the family’s grief.
“We’re left with this massive industrial accident where we really don’t know what’s going on day by day,” Beale said.
Investigators have not said how long the investigation could take, only that Monday’s storm was expected to hamper progress and that the investigation would take “some time.”
Still, Beale says she takes comfort knowing her brother’s spirit is with her.
“He was happy and he knew how much we cared for him, cause we would do anything for our little baby brother,” she said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
World's record-breaking hot temperature streak stretches through April
The world just experienced its hottest April on record, extending an 11-month streak in which every month set a temperature record, the European Union's climate change monitoring service said on Wednesday.
BREAKING Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
Most of Canada to receive emergency alert test today
The federal government will test its capacity to issue emergency alerts today, with the exception of Ontario, where the test will take place on May 15.
OPINION What King Charles' schedule being too 'full' to accommodate son suggests
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Seafood, eat food: Calgary Stampede releases Midway menu
The Calgary Stampede has released its menu of sweet, salty and spicy treats available on the Midway for the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.
AstraZeneca says it will withdraw COVID-19 vaccine globally as demand dips
AstraZeneca said on Tuesday it had initiated the worldwide withdrawal of its COVID-19 vaccine due to a 'surplus of available updated vaccines' since the pandemic.
Boy Scouts of America is rebranding. Here's why they've changed their name
After more than a century, Boy Scouts of America is rebranding as Scouting America, another major shakeup for an organization that once proudly resisted change.
Ontario man devastated to learn $150,000 line of credit isn't insured after wife dies
An Ontario man found out that a line of credit he thought was insured actually isn't after his wife of 50 years died.
Trial begins for Winnipeg serial killer who claims he was mentally ill
The trial of a man who admits he killed four women in Winnipeg is set to begin Wednesday, and a law professor says lawyers for Jeremy Skibicki have multiple hurdles to clear for a defence of mental illness.