Air Canada crash: Quebec hometown mourns pilot Antoine Forest

The death of Air Canada Jazz pilot Antoine Forest, who perished when his plane collided with an emergency vehicle at New York’s LaGuardia Airport on Sunday, has sparked an outpouring of sympathy in his hometown southwest of Montreal.

Since late Monday, many citizens have been calling city hall in Coteau-du-Lac to offer their condolences to the family of Forest, who died alongside co-pilot Mackenzie Gunther.

The attention has surprised and touched the mayor and city staff.

Mayor Andrée Brosseau told The Canadian Press that they’ve been directing people to their Facebook page, where a post about the pilot’s death has garnered hundreds of comments and shares.

“We’re telling them to leave a comment,” said Brosseau, adding that if the family ever wants to see the comments, “it will be there, on social media.”

Brosseau said she is “heartbroken for the family” and “available to provide them with any necessary support.”

Coteau-du-Lac has a population of about 7,800, so “everyone knows someone who knows the family,” she said. Forest’s death has deeply affected the community, she added.

Many of the messages have also come from beyond the region. Louis-Cédrik Leduc, a communications staffer for the town, said even U.S. citizens have expressed their sadness and condolences to the city.

Cédric Forest, Antoine’s brother, paid tribute to him in a personal Facebook post on Monday night.

“Have a good flight, my brother!” he wrote. “Oh yes, we’ve heard that phrase often, but this time it will be the last. You were always coming and going, always full of new projects. You left us again, too soon to say goodbye.”

“I love you, my brother,” he added. “You can leave with your head held high.”

Quebec’s forest fire prevention service, known as SOPFEU, also offered its condolences on Tuesday to the friends and family of the two pilots who died.

“During the 2021 and 2022 seasons, Antoine worked on SOPFEU operations as a spotter pilot with Exact Air,” the agency said in a social media post.

“He was a very kind, highly professional and well-liked colleague.”

The agency also extended its sympathies to Gunther and all the other victims of the accident.