Friends mourn father and son killed in Aylmer house fire
A father and his son are dead after an early Wednesday morning fire in an Aylmer home.
Emergency crews responded to a call around 4:45 a.m. for a fire on Parker Street. Police evacuated nearby homes as a precautionary measure due to the size of the fire.
Gatineau police say two people were found unconscious inside the home and were taken to hospital.
Raymond Prest, 85, and Jean-Marc Prest, 67, later died in hospital.
Wednesday night friends and loved ones gathered at the site of the fire, sharing stories and hugs for those they lost.
Guy Rochon, who was a long time friend of Raymond Prest, said the community had lost someone who would give the shirt of his back to anyone who needed it.
“He was a great, great man and so was his son. It’s sad to see them to leave the world. They were great, great people,” Rochon said. “We hunted together, we fished together, we played ball together, I know I’m only 71 and he was 85, but he was one of my best friends.”
Alice Blais, Raymond Prest’s girlfriend of 15 years, was heartbroken he and his son were gone.
“He was a proud man, a lovely man, a lovely smile. He was sick for the past year and he had a hip replacement but we were starting to dance again together,” Blais said.
“Oh Ray keep a dance for me up there…I’m coming up, I’m going to dance with you.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
A fight to protect the dignity of Michelangelo's David raises questions about freedom of expression
Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished.
Democrat who ran on abortion rights flips seat in deeply conservative Alabama
Marilyn Lands, who campaigned on abortion rights in deeply conservative Alabama, won a special election to the Alabama Legislature, in a victory that Democrats say illustrates voter backlash to extreme reproductive restrictions imposed by Republicans.