Of those who perished in the major Old Montreal fire, 76-year-old Camille Maheux is the only one who has been identified to date.
The photographer and cinematographer moved into the building more than 30 years ago.
Suzanne Girard met Maheux in 1975 and the two shared a love of snapping pics.
"She was a very good photographer," said Girard. "She was a very good camerawoman. She had the eye."
Most of Maheux's life work is now gone, adding to the tragedy.
"Everything went with her, her archives, her photos, her negatives," said Girard.
Maheux's images have been featured in the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and the National Gallery of Canada.
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Friends from the photographer's world travels are now trying to build back her collection.
"People are phoning from France, from Spain, from Italy, from Brazil," said Girard, who has some of Maheux's photos from past Montreal Pride parades, where she photographed the event for four years in the 1990s.
Going through archives of Maheux's work is bringing back positive memories for Girard despite the heartbreaking current reality.
"It's all these good memories right now because I have something of hers, you know, I sort of put it in the back of my mind the circumstance," she said.
A second crane is now on the scene to help remove debris from the site, and rescue crews say it will speed up recovery efforts and hopefully end the agonizing wait for families and friends of those loved ones who are still missing.
Once the scene is cleared, Girard wants to honour her late friend and her work properly.
