Remembering the 14th anniversary of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti

It’s been 14 years since the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti, roughly 25 kilometres west of the capital of Port-au-Prince. Montreal’s Haitian community coming together at la Maison d’Haiti, remembering the family and friends whose lives were lost on January 12th 2010.

“I remember I had a dog in Haiti. A few minutes before the event started, the dog was barking a lot and we didn’t know why,” says Laury-Layne Amanda Myrtild, a youth worker at Montreal’s Maison d’Haiti, who grew up in Haiti.

“I was still young. It was very difficult for me to see this and especially because I had some of my family that was injured,” she adds, “I had my cousin who didn’t know what was happening. Instead of running out of the house, he entered again inside of the house. And he broke his head on something.”

January 12 is also Myrtild’s birthday. With the earthquake having caused major damage to landmarks and left hundreds of thousands dead and displaced in Haiti, for a long time, Myrtild has refused to celebrate.

The commemoration event also involved a candle lighting by those in attendance who witnessed the earthquake first-hand.

“To me it was like a dream because I saw the pictures, I couldn’t believe it. But as an artist, I think it is very important to show what’s positive in Haiti,” says Ralph Maingrette, a creative coordinator at la Maison d’Haiti.

Artist works were largely inspired by the country’s resilience.

Mayor Valerie Plante reminding the community to view the evening as a moment to highlight courage.

“People think that their lives are granted for some reason, but that makes me realize that in a second, in a minute you can just lose your life,” says Myrtild, adding “celebrate life, even if it’s a sad day. I have to be happy that I’m still living.”