A mother and daughter from Edmonton, a renowned Carleton University professor and an accountant with the City of Calgary were among the 18 Canadians who died Sunday when an Ethiopian Airlines plane crashed shortly after takeoff, killing all 157 aboard.
Mohamed Hassan Ali said his sister, Amina Ibrahim Odowaa, and her five-year-old daughter, Sofia Faisal Abdulkadir, were on board the jet that went down six minutes after it took off from the Addis Ababa airport on the way to Nairobi, Kenya.
"(She was) a very nice person, very outgoing, very friendly. Had a lot of friends," he said of his sister, who lived in Edmonton and was travelling to Kenya to visit with relatives.
Carleton University confirmed Pius Adesanmi, a professor in the Department of English Language and Literature and the Institute of African Studies at Carleton University, was also killed in the crash.
Benoit-Antoine Bacon, the school's president and vice-chancellor, described him as a "global thinker," and a "towering figure in African and post-colonial scholarship."
Bacon said Adesanmi made an enormous impact on the university community since joining it in 2006, both as an academic and a person.
"What's striking about him was that he welcomes you with his whole being," he said in a phone interview.
"He's a person of integrity, of wholeness, of warmth, and you can imagine the impact of his brilliant intellect as a great scholar and of the kind of man he was, the kind of person that he was."
Tributes also poured in from Adesanmi's students and colleagues, both in Canada and his native Nigeria.
Mitchell Dick, a Carleton student, said Adesanmi was among his most "memorable" professors.
"He was extremely nice and approachable and his way of teaching was very vivid and accessible for everybody whether you were an English major or not," he said from the Canadian university men's basketball championship in Halifax, where a moment of silence was held Sunday for the victims.
Gladys Kivia, a domestic violence counsellor with the Calgary Women's Emergency Shelter, said her husband, Derick Lwugi, was also among the victims.
The accountant who worked for the city leaves behind three children, aged 17, 19 and 20, Kivia said. The couple had been in Calgary for 12 years, and Lwugi had been headed to Kenya to visit both of their parents.
"His mom was not feeling well," Kivia said in a brief interview.
Media reports indicate that Danielle Moore, 24, of Winnipeg, was also among the victims. In a Facebook post on Saturday morning, Moore wrote that she was excited to be attending a UN environment event in Nairobi.
"I feel beyond privileged to be receiving this opportunity," she wrote.
Monica Phung, a friend of Moore's who worked with her through a conservation program called Ocean Bridge, said she last spoke to her friend Friday night.
"I messaged her to congratulate her. She just got accepted to the Bachelor of Education program at the University of Ottawa," said Phung. "That's what she felt like she was meant to do."
Asked what comes to mind when she thinks of her friend, Phung said she pictures "laughing and sunshine.
"She had a loud and happy laugh all the time. And the biggest smile," said Phung. "And she was just a light. She would always make you feel good and you could feel her energy in the room. She was so positive and just always brought a goodness to everyone around her."
It was not clear what caused the Ethiopian Airlines plane to go down in clear weather six minutes after departing Bole Airport in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa on its way to Nairobi, the capital of neighbouring Kenya. The accident was strikingly similar to last year's crash of a Lion Air jet that plunged into the Java Sea, killing 189 people.
Both crashes involved the Boeing 737 Max 8, and both happened minutes after the jets became airborne. In the wake of Sunday's crash, Ethiopian Airlines as well as all Chinese airlines have ground their Boeing 737 Max 8 planes indefinitely.
The Ethiopian pilot sent out a distress call and was given clearance to return to the airport in Addis Ababa, the airline's CEO said.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he was "deeply saddened" by the crash.
"On behalf of all Canadians, Sophie and I offer our heartfelt condolences to those who have lost family, friends, and loved ones as a result of this tragedy," he said in a statement. "We are providing consular assistance, and working closely with authorities to gather further information. We join the international community in mourning the loss of so many lives, including those countries who have also lost citizens in this devastating crash."
Trudeau reached out to Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to express condolences.
At least 35 nationalities were among the dead, including 32 Kenyans, and people from China, the United States, Saudi Arabia, Nepal, Israel, India and Somalia.
Families around the world grieved. At the Addis Ababa airport, a woman called a mobile number in vain. "Where are you, my son?" she said, in tears. Others cried as they approached the terminal.
At the crash site, the impact caused the plane to shatter into small pieces. Personal belongings and aircraft parts were strewn across the freshly churned earth. Bulldozers dug into the crater to pull out buried pieces of the jet.
Black body bags were spread out nearby while Red Cross and other workers looked for remains. In one photo, teams could be seen loading black plastic bags into trucks.
As the sun set, crews were still searching for the plane's flight-data recorder, the airline's chief operating officer said.
Ethiopian Airlines said it had contacted the families of the victims and would soon conduct forensic investigations to identify the 149 passengers and eight crew.
Some of those aboard were travelling to the United Nations environmental meeting scheduled to start Monday in Nairobi. UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, said staff members were among the victims, as were colleagues from the United Nations. A UN official said the United Nations expects that about a dozen passengers affiliated with the world organization were on the Ethiopian Airlines jet.
A Look At The Canadian Victims Of The Ethiopian Airlines Plane Crash
Details are emerging about the 18 Canadian victims of an Ethiopian Airlines plane crash in Addis Ababa that left 157 people dead. Here is what we know so far:
Pius Adesanmi:
Adesanmi was a Nigerian-born professor in the Department of English Language and Literature and the Institute of African Studies at Carleton University in Ottawa.
He was a "towering figure in African and post-colonial scholarship," said the school's president, Benoit-Antoine Bacon.
Adesanmi was the winner of the inaugural Penguin Prize for African non-fiction writing in 2010.
Mitchell Dick, a Carleton student in communications, said Adesanmi was "extremely nice and approachable," and stood out for his passion for African literature.
Peter deMarsh
Condolences poured in for the New Brunswick native from his colleagues in the forestry sector.
DeMarsh was chairman of the International Family Forestry Alliance, an international group based in Luxembourg that represents more than 25 million forest owners worldwide.
His employer did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
According to the Kenya Forest Service, deMarsh was en route to Nairobi to attend a workshop on financing for small farms.
Amina Ibrahim Odowaa and her daughter Sofia Faisal Abdulkadir:
The 33-year-old Edmonton woman and her five-year-old daughter were travelling to Kenya to visit relatives.
Her brother, Mohamed Hassan Ali of Toronto, said he had planned to travel with them but had to cancel last week.
"(She was) a very nice person, very outgoing, very friendly — had a lot of friends," he said.
A family friend said Odowaa had lived in Edmonton since 2006.
Derick Lwugi:
An accountant with the City of Calgary, Lwugi was on his way to Kenya to visit both his and his wife's parents.
"His mom was not feeling well," Lwugi's wife, Gladys Kivia, said in a brief interview from Calgary.
The couple have three children, aged 17, 19 and 20, all of whom live at home.
The family has lived in Calgary for 12 years.
Jessica Hyba
Hyba's Facebook page says she was born in Ottawa and pursued a career in international aid work.
She worked for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees as an public relations officer, based in Mogadishu, Somalia.
Prior to that, the UNHCR said Hyba worked for Care Canada, who did not immediately respond to request for comment.
Danielle Moore:
Media reports indicate the 24-year-old, who lived in Winnipeg, was among the victims.
She posted on Facebook on Saturday morning that she would be travelling to Nairobi, Kenya, for the United Nations Environment Assembly.
"Over the next week I'll have the opportunity to discuss global environmental issues, share stories, and connect with other youth and leaders from all over the world," she wrote.
"I feel beyond privileged to be receiving this opportunity."
A marine biology student, she graduated from Dalhousie University in Halifax in 2017, said Prof. Kim Davies, her honours thesis adviser.
"Danielle was exceptional in every sense," Davies said in an email "She excelled at her studies, she was a kind and friendly person, and she was deeply devoted to environmental and human rights causes."
Davies said after graduating from Dalhousie, Moore returned to Manitoba where she worked for several non-governmental organizations, including the Canada Learning Code, a group dedicated to improving the accessibility of educational and technological resources for Canadians.
The professor confirmed Moore's work was recognized by the United Nations, which is why she was invited as a delegate to the environmental assembly.
MORE CANADIANS IDENTIFIED AS VICTIMS OF ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES CRASH
A senior UN official and a New Brunswick forester were among the 18 Canadians who died Sunday when an Ethiopian Airlines plane crashed shortly after takeoff, killing all 157 aboard.
The United Nations High Commission for Refugees said one of its Canadian-born employees was among the victims of the deadly crash of an Ethiopian Airlines plane.
The commission identified the woman as Jessica Hyba, who was working as the organization's senior external relations officer.
Meanwhile, forestry groups identified Peter DeMarsh of New Brunswick as one of the victims.
The Kenya Forest Service and the Family Forest Nepal Facebook pages both wrote posts offering condolences to the family of DeMarsh, who worked with the International Family Forestry Alliance.
The International Family Forestry Alliance did not immediately return a request for comment Monday.
The Kenya Forest Service post said DeMarsh was en route to Nairobi to attend a workshop on "access to international climate finance for small holder farmers."
The plane crashed shortly after takeoff Sunday morning, killing all 157 aboard, including 18 Canadians.
Ethiopia's state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting Corporate reported Monday that the black box was found from the crashed plane.
An airline official, however, told The Associated Press that the box was partially damaged and that "we will see what we can retrieve from it."
The official spoke on condition of anonymity for lack of authorization to speak to the media.
It was not clear what caused the Ethiopian Airlines plane to go down in clear weather six minutes after departing Bole Airport in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa on its way to Nairobi, the capital of neighbouring Kenya. The accident was strikingly similar to last year's crash of a Lion Air jet that plunged into the Java Sea, killing 189 people.
Both crashes involved the Boeing 737 Max 8, and both happened minutes after the jets became airborne. In the wake of Sunday's crash, Ethiopian Airlines as well as all Chinese airlines have ground their Boeing 737 Max 8 planes indefinitely.
Air Canada said in an email statement Monday that it has operated Boeing 737 Max 8 aircrafts since 2017 and has 24 in its fleet.
"These aircraft have performed excellently from a safety, reliability and customer satisfaction perspective," said spokeswoman Isabelle Arthur.
"We continue to monitor the situation, and based on current information and recommendations by government safety regulators, including Transport Canada, and the manufacturer, we continue to operate our normal B737 schedule."
WestJet and Sunwing did not immediately return a request for comment Monday.
A mother and daughter from Edmonton, a renowned Carleton University professor, and an accountant with the City of Calgary were also among the Canadians who died in the crash.
Mohamed Hassan Ali said his sister, Amina Ibrahim Odowaa of Edmonton, and her five-year-old daughter, Sofia Faisal Abdulkadir, were on board the jet that went down six minutes after it took off from the Addis Ababa airport on the way to Nairobi, Kenya.
"(She was) a very nice person, very outgoing, very friendly. Had a lot of friends," Ali said of his sister, who was travelling to Kenya to visit with relatives.
Carleton University confirmed Pius Adesanmi, a professor in the Department of English Language and Literature and the Institute of African Studies at Carleton University, was also killed in the crash.
Benoit-Antoine Bacon, the school's president and vice-chancellor, described him as a "global thinker," and a "towering figure in African and post-colonial scholarship."
Media reports indicated that Danielle Moore, 24, of Winnipeg, was among the victims. In a Facebook post on Saturday morning, Moore wrote that she was excited to be attending a UN environment event in Nairobi.
University of New Brunswick professor Kimberly Davies said Moore was her honours thesis student when she worked at Halifax's Dalhousie University. She said Moore graduated from Dalhousie with a degree in marine biology in 2017 and was "exceptional in every sense."
"She excelled at her studies, she was a kind and friendly person, and she was deeply devoted to environmental and human rights causes," said Davies in an email.
Gladys Kivia, a domestic violence counsellor with the Calgary Women's Emergency Shelter, said her husband, Derick Lwugi, was also among the victims.
The accountant who worked for the city leaves behind three children, aged 17, 19 and 20, Kivia said. The couple had been in Calgary for 12 years, and Lwugi had been headed to Kenya to visit both of their parents.
THE CANADIAN PRESS PHOTOS
