Vigil for mother, daughter killed at home in Ottawa's Alta Vista neighbourhood
One by one, mourners lined up patiently to lay flowers at the home of 50-year-old Anne-Marie Ready and 15-year-old Jasmine Ready.
The mother and daughter died from stab wounds following an incident at an Alta Vista home Monday night. A loss that continues to leave many in disbelief and shock.
Among the flowers were two black belts, a tribute from members of the Douvris Martial Arts dojo where Anne-Marie and Jasmine trained.
"These were beautiful women who were murdered," said Naomi Eberhard, who trained with the Readys. "And they are an extremely important part of our community. I’ve never seen them without a smile on their face, they were so full of joy constantly."
Just two weeks ago, Anne-Marie and Jasmine received their black belt.
"We had been training together for three years and in the last six months you get to know people pretty well," said Michael Penny, who also received his black belt. "We wanted to be here today to show her other family her karate family is here to support her.”
On Saturday, Alta Vista neighbours organized the memorial starting at Edgehill Park before walking to the Ready family’s home on Anoka Street.
"I didn’t know them personally but I think any time there’s a tragedy like this we all feel it. A mother and daughter were lost here," said Cheshmak Farhoumand-Sims, who helped organize the vigil.
Anne-Marie Ready worked as a trade commissioner with Global Affairs Canada. Those who knew her describe Ready as someone who had a good sense of humour and made everyone feel welcome.
"In a nutshell, an amazing human being, someone that cared about others," said Anand Harrilall, who spoke to CTV News from Guyana. "I can’t really grasp that she’s really gone."
A trait many say she passed along to her daughters Jasmine and Catherine.
"All three girls were just a beautiful ray of sunshine… very welcoming and friendly," said neighbour Jacqueline Tokarew.
"It’s really overwhelming just how many people they touched and how much impact a family can have in all aspects of their lives," said Jana Marcoux, a friend of Catherine Ready.
A GoFundMe page has been set up through the dojo. Several in attendance wore purple or green to raise awareness of gender-based violence and mental health.
"Three women’s lives forever changed, two of them no longer with us and our health system including our mental health system is broken and we need to fix that or we will see this again and that is not okay," said Eberhard.
Nineteen-year-old Catherine Ready, Anne-Marie Ready's daughter, was seriously injured and remains in hospital. The Special Investigations Unit says police saw a man stabbing a woman when they arrived on the scene, and she was struck by police gunfire.
The Special Investigations Unit hasn't identified the 21-year-old man shot dead by responding Ottawa police officers.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.