Quebec Premier Pauline Marois speaks to the media as L'Isle-Verte Mayor Ursule Theriault, left, looks on after a visit to the site of the fatal fire at a seniors residence, Sunday, January 26, 2014 in L'Isle-Verte, Que. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz
January 26, 2014 - 1:00 AM
L'ISLE-VERTE, Que. - Residents of the Quebec village where fire destroyed a Quebec seniors' residence will get a chance to voice their collective grief today.
Local priest Gilles Frigon says an afternoon mass in L'Isle-Verte is also aimed at allowing first responders at last Thursday's tragedy to express their suffering.
Frigon wants the celebration to be family-oriented and intimate with the emphasis on local residents and people from the surrounding area.
People are being invited to bring photos of the 10 people officially declared dead as well as of the 22 others who are feared to have lost their lives.
Frigon says the mass and the collective gathering is all about the grief of people affected by the loss of friends and relatives.
A more formal commemorative ceremony has been scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 1. That event will feature more dignitaries.
Frigon called Sunday's mass "a first step toward healing."
"It will be family-oriented and intimate, so that in this tragic event we're going through, we can find ourselves and rebuild our hearts," he said.
"It will be about the grief of people who are affected by the loss of their father, their mother, their grandfather, their grandmother, their great-grandfather and their great-grandmother."
Quebec Premier Pauline Marois has said she will visit L'Isle-Verte on Sunday, but it is unclear whether she will attend the mass.
How the blaze began is still unclear, with police saying it is far too early to conclude that a cigarette was the cause.
On Saturday, the coroner's office identified two victims: Juliette Saindon, 95, and Marie-Laureat Dube, 82. A third person has been identified and his or her name will be released on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the Red Cross announced Saturday it has raised $200,000 for the community. The money will go to various things like eyeglasses, furniture and clothing.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2014