Last night, the Community of Dauphin gathered to mourn the tragic loss of 16 people from the area.
A Community Memorial Service was held at the Ukrainian Orthodox Auditorium to help the city grieve together, and in doing so, support each other.
Community Minister Wayne Olson was one of the people making this happen, and he was amazed at the massive turnout.
"We originally set up 340 chairs, and we put out I'm not sure how many more -we used up all the chairs in the hall- and there was standing room only at the back, and they were standing almost to the doors going out of the building."
By his estimate, over 500 people came out to support each other in this hard time.
Olson says tight-knit communities like Dauphin have strength like no other, and that's because people care.
"The great thing about small communities is that we care about each other, and I think that's such a great feeling that we need to keep going. When events like this happen, it's a reminder that even though we're getting older, we can still make an impact on the community."
This event showed the importance of bringing the community together to grieve, and Olson noted that this night was important for a few reasons.
He said this public event could take the pressure off the families in their personal funerals, a time that may be just for close friends and family and still allows the greater community to show their support in their own way.
The city of Dauphin is one whose strength lies in how its community comes together, and it couldn't be more apparent than the outpouring of support seen at this service.
So in this time of mourning, know that the city grieves as one right now, make sure to seek support if you need it, and stay strong. Dauphin Strong.
