Joan Labelle was in her “happy place” when the storm struck.
She was not in a particular city or town. In fact, the opposite was true – the thing Joan loved most was being out and camping, said her son Zachary Labelle.
“She loved nature,” he said Tuesday. “In summer, you will always notice a little extra sparkle in her smile on days like today, when she can be outside in her garden.”
A 64-year-old man from Cornwall, Ont., In the Peterborough area brought a camping trip to a friend’s property over the long weekend.
She was there Saturday as strong winds blew through Ontario.
Provincial police say Joan was hit by a falling tree. She is one of 10 people killed during or after a storm that devastated parts of southern Ontario in southwestern Quebec.
“I am still in shock. It happened too fast, “said her son.” Right now we’re just there for each other and trying to absorb what happened. “
Joan leaves behind her husband Robert Labelle and sons Zachary and Cole Labelle.
Zachary describes his mother as a positive person who has been happy all along.
She has worked as a pharmacist in Cornwall for more than 40 years.
Family in “complete shock”
Desiree Martin has his own moment, which he has held since he learned the news.
Joan was her legal cousin, but Martin said he often called Joan her aunt.
The couple dressed together as heroes of Sailor Moon during a congress in Toronto in 2018.
The serious face that Joan pulls in a photo from that day only makes the photo funnier because “she always smiles and stuff,” Martin said.
Desiree Martin, dressed here as Sailor Moon, said Joan Labelle, on the far right, always smiles, which makes her serious face in this photo even funnier. (Submitted by Desiree Martin)
Tonight at their hotel, after everyone else fell asleep, they shared a deep conversation, according to Martin. Now she mourns the fact that they will not be able to speak again.
“I always felt so calm when I was around her, which was a big thing for me because when I grew up, I was surrounded by a lot of stress,” Martin said. “When I was with her, she just didn’t exist.”
Joan is a person who is “always open-handed,” she added.
The two have not seen each other in the last two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but had plans to meet this summer.
WATCH A family member describes the pain of losing Joan Labelle:
Complete Shock: Family Remembers Woman Died in Devastating Storm in Ontario
Desiree Martin described her cousin Joan Labelle as a kind and caring person who reassures family and friends. Labelle was camping near Peterborough when the storm hit on Saturday.
“It was just a shock. There is no closure, “she said through tears. “There’s no way we’re saying goodbye. That’s the worst part.”
Zachary said anyone who wants to pay tribute to his mother has been invited to sign a book of condolences at Cornwall Square’s Shoppers Drug Mart, where she has worked for decades.
Joan was the heart of the family, he said, adding that his loved ones were what he was focusing on now.
“She was there for everyone, so now we have to let her live … We will do the same.”
More Ottawa residents killed
Four other Ottawa residents were killed in the storm.
Among those killed was a 44-year-old man from Ottawa. The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) in Renfrew County said he died after being hit by a falling tree at a villa near Calabogi, Ont.
Gatineau police say a 51-year-old woman drowned after a pontoon boat capsized in the Ottawa River near the Masson-Angers area.
OPP said 80-year-old Gail Green of Ferguson Falls, Ontario, died Sunday afternoon when she was hit by a falling tree branch near Lanark, Ont.
And Ian Fraser, 59, was killed by a tree at the Canadian Golf and Country Club east of Stittsville.
Fraser was a member of the RCMP, whose career included “a variety of experiences,” according to his obituary.
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