Snowbirds member killed in B.C. crash mourned in Ottawa

Capt. Jenn Casey is being mourned by those who knew her in Ottawa, oneday after she was killed in a crash in B.C.

Casey,a public affairs officer for theCanadian Forces Snowbirds, was flying with the teamwhen the plane she was in crashedshortly after takeoffin Kamloops, B.C.

Benoit-Antoine Bacon, president of Carleton University,tweeted a statement Monday saying she'dattended the school's journalism program before graduating from King's College at Dalhousie University in Halifax.

Coun. Shawn Menard, meanwhile, sharedphotos of him and Casey on Twitter including one from when they ran for theRideau River Residence Association (RRRA) executive while attending Carleton University.

"It's so hard to believe that this happened. It's such a tragic situation, and just it mademe cry last night," Menard told CBC.

'A natural leader'

They first met when Casey was a floor representative for the RRRA, Menard said, and she quickly made an impression.

"She just had this infectious positivity about her. She was very driven and you could tell she was going to do well in life," he said.

"She was one of those people who was just a natural leader."

TheSnowbirds had been on a cross-country tourto raise people's spirits during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The crash also left Capt. Richard MacDougall, the plane's pilot, in serious condition in hospital.