NOTE: This callout is now closed. You can see the responses here.
Below are some of the stories commenters on our website shared.
I was a young reporter for the Brampton Times when this horrific crash occurred. Out of respect for any relatives of the victims who might read this, I won't describe the scene but suffice to say, it was terrible. I am glad that finally there is a memorial to remember those who died that day.
djh6
I was the co-pilot of the crew that flew the military Sea King helicopter to initially search for the site and to ferry security and medical personnel back and forth. We could not find the crash site initially since it resembled more of a garbage dump. It was a horrific scene and the sight of the flight attendants' distinctive red uniforms hanging from the branches of that tree lingered with me for many years. Walking through the site was an experience I never wish to go through again. It's too bad we didn't learn about this memorial service earlier as I may have tried to attend. It was one of the most significant events to happen to me in my long service in the Royal Canadian Air Force. May the victims rest in peace. And thank you to the folks who made the effort to memorialize
David Church1
I've been to the site a few times before the new development started and found plenty of pieces of wreckage - pieces of the aircraft, bits of Air Canada stir sticks, an air-conditioning nozzle from the flight deck, beads from a child's toy, a piece from a pair of sunglasses. There were even shards of bone. More debris was pushed to the surface with each spring
Jan Burton
My wife and I were boarding an Air Canada flight home from Heathrow the morning after the crash. The newspaper we were given had the front page missing. We knew something bad had happened. About an hour into the flight, the pilot gave us the terrible news. We'll never forget that tragic event,
Richard Marr, Cobble Hill, Vancouver Island