VICTORIA -- The two passengers who were killed when their small plane crashed into Gabriola Island last week have now been identified.
Saltair, B.C. residents Allan and Katheryn Boudreau, both 53, were identified by their children Monday in emails and phone calls with CTV News Vancouver Island.
The couple died alongside pilot Alex Bahlsen as their twin-engine Piper Aerostar attempted to land at the Nanaimo airport on Dec. 10.
A Transport Canada report released Friday cited "component failure or malfunction" as a possible contributor to the fatal crash.
According to information first published in the Gabriola Sounder newspaper and used with the permission of the publisher and the Boudreau family, Allan and Katheryn met and were married in North Bay, Ont.
The couple moved to Vancouver Island 28 years ago, where they owned Island Hothouse, a two-acre farm where they grew peppers before their retirement in 2018.
Allan and Katheryn were returning from a holiday in Mexico when their plane went down. Their chidren say they were in touch with their parents throughout the trip, exchanging messages and photos.
Daughter Bridget Boudreau, 25, said news of the accident left the family "heartbroken, shocked, absolutely devastated, broken, and lost.”
The BC Coroners Service declined to identify the couple as victims of the plane crash on Monday, pending the completion of its investigation.
The family says Gabriola Island residents have come forward to offer support to the family and have proposed establishing a memorial at the crash site.
“We really appreciate the people on Gabriola being so supportive – showing love towards people that they don’t even know," said Bridget.
“That must have been really horrifying to see and experience."
