'She was Auntie K.': Kayla Ferguson believed to be youngest victim of Ottawa explosion
Nearly a week after a devastating explosion shook the capital and took the lives of six people, the families of the victims are still looking for answers.
“I just keep asking why, and how?” Maria Ferguson, the cousin of 26-year-old Kayla Ferguson, said.
A welder, Kayla Ferguson is believed to the be youngest victim of the blast, and the only woman, but to her family and friends, Kayla was always one of the guys.
“She loved being with men and she could do everything a man could do, if not better,” Maria said.
Ferguson was a boxer, a powerlifter and a hunter.
“She was quiet, she was reserved. She was an old soul in a young body,” Maria continued.
Gentle and soft-spoken, Ferguson loved the outdoors, either behind the handlebars of an ATV in the mud, or skipping across fresh snow in a Ski-Doo.
“She would be jumping up and down and just so happy that there was snow on the ground so she could get out on her Ski-Doo,” Maria continued. “She’d be out ripping this weekend.”
A daughter and sister, Kayla was also the godmother to Maria’s three boys.
“She was Auntie K. From the minute they were born, she was there; once a week, every holiday, she would come and steal them from me and take them for nights and sleepovers and take them four-wheeling,” Maria said.
The middle child in a family of five, Ferguson’s death is shaking her family.
“You don’t expect things like that and you don’t think it’s ever going to happen to you. She was the rock for a lot of people, she was definitely my personal journal, so it’s really hard,” Maria said.
On the fence outside Eastway Tank a small bouquet of flowers holds a picture of Kayla, dressed in full camouflage and smiling in the woods. It’s those moments that make her loss a little easier for her family.
“You know, she always lived her life to the fullest and she was happy when she went and she didn’t leave any stone left unturned that she wanted to turn. And I think that makes it a little bit easier,” Maria said.
“She was living her dream and she was happy,” she added.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
4th Indian national arrested, charged with murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Homicide investigators in B.C. say murder charges have been laid against a fourth Indian national in connection to the killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a Surrey gurdwara last year.
'I am angry': Alberta farmers will continue fight over world class motorsport resort
The rolling hills leading to the hamlet of Rosebud are dotted with sprawling farms and cattle pastures -- and a sign sporting a simple message: No Race Track.
Man ticketed after allegedly trespassing again at Drake's Bridle Path mansion to get his bike
A man who tried to access Drake’s Bridle Path mansion earlier this week returned to the property Saturday and was apprehended again for allegedly trespassing, Toronto police say.
Couple randomly attacked, 1 stabbed, by group of teens in Toronto, police say
A man has been transported to hospital after police say he was stabbed in a random attack carried out by a group of teens in Toronto on Friday night.
Millions of Canadians have been exposed to potentially toxic chemicals, and they're not going anywhere
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
Biden calls Trump 'unhinged,' says 'something snapped' in former president after he lost 2020 U.S. election
U.S. President Joe Biden on Saturday called Donald Trump “clearly unhinged” and claimed that “something snapped” in the former president after he lost the 2020 election.
Wildfire that forced evacuation of Fort Nelson, B.C., caused by tree falling on wires, mayor says
The wildfire that prompted the evacuation of more than 3,000 people near Fort Nelson, B.C., was caused by a tree falling on wires, according to the municipality's mayor.
Switzerland's Nemo wins 68th Eurovision Song Contest
Swiss singer Nemo won the 68th Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday night with 'The Code,' an operatic ode to the singer’s journey toward embracing their nongender identity.
IN PICTURES Northern lights dance across the night sky in southern Ont.
From London, to Grand Bend, Collingwood and Guelph, here are some highlights of Friday night and Saturday morning's northern lights display.