Thread by @MuhammadLila

I’ve been trying to put into words how big a tragedy the Ukraine Airlines crash is for Canada.

To say it’s huge or massive just isn’t enough.

So forget the details.

Here’s what it FEELS like – in communities across the country.

[A Thread]

In the morning, I learned a family friend had passed away. My parents had known him for decades.

When I WhatsApp’d my mom to tell her, this is what she replied.

(ilwil is an abbreviation for “to God do we belong and to him we return” – Muslims say it when someone passes away)

Around 9am, my son went to school.

When he got there, the admin announced one of his schoolmates was on board. Students were in tears. They made counselors available.

Today, the flag at school is flying at half-mast.

He was only 18.

At 3pm, I got an email from the President of a College where I serve on the Board of Governors.

One of our faculty was killed.

Razgar Rahimi was a PhD. He was on the plane with his wife and 3-year old son.

His wife was pregnant.

#ukraineplanecrash

By 5pm, my wife got a text that a friend's sister and daughter were killed. She’d just seen them at a birthday party a few weeks ago. My daughters even played with that little girl, who was 8.

Now she’s dead.

Her father, who came back from Iran early, is devastated.

Scenes like this aren’t unique.

They’re playing out all over the country, in nearly every province.

It’s no exaggeration to say this is the biggest tragedy to hit in decades.

This map by @TorontoStar shows the scope. It’s mind-boggling.

@TorontoStar The headlines talk about #63Canadians, but that doesn’t do it justice.

They were students, newlyweds, teachers, doctors, children, engineers, secretaries, tour guides, parents. The oldest was 75, and the youngest was just one-year old.

Yes, just one year old.

@TorontoStar Last night, the CN Tower went dark to honour the victims (it’s usually lit up). You’ll find similar tributes in Edmonton, Vancouver, Halifax, and more.

Flags are still at half mast outside city buildings and schools.

@TorontoStar @arezoonia @CityofEdmonton Canada is a big country. We have big hearts but a small population.

Nearly everyone killed was an immigrant. But nobody's talking about that.

Our headlines focus on the fact that they were Canadians, with deep roots here, who touched countless lives.

The way it should be.

@TorontoStar @arezoonia @CityofEdmonton @KevinVuongTO If you're not Canadian, it can be hard to appreciate.

This isn't just something that happened overseas, with a small trickle effect in Canada.

It is very much a Canadian tragedy, with Canadian victims, and a painful numbness being felt from coast to coast.

[End]