It was a holiday filled with pain and sadness for Scott Cormier and his family.
Cormier’s brother Chris, 43, died in a car accident in Moncton on December 15.
Five days later, Chris’s four-year-old daughter Matilda succumbed to the injuries she sustained in the head-on collision and died at the IWK Hospital in Halifax.
“Cold. That’s all it really was,” Cormier said. “We all had the turkeys ready. We all had presents ready. Not many of us celebrate Christmas yet. We’ve all promised that at some point we’ll get together and cherish the moment. Neither side of the family was very festive.”
Chris and Matilda leave behind his wife and mother Eiryn, and his daughter and sister Emilia.
Scott Cormier and several members of his family gathered Friday morning outside the Cap-Acadie dental clinic in Cap-Pelé, the business Chris and Eiryn owned together.
The family of a father and daughter who died in an accident gathered at the Cap-Acadie Dental Clinic on December 27, 2024. (Source: Derek Haggett/CTV News Atlantic)
Cormier said his older brother, Chris, was very business savvy, having traveled all over the world, but his family was the most important thing to him.
“He was a really good person,” Cormier said. “He was very close to his two daughters.”
Cormier said Eiryn is doing as well as expected for someone who lost her husband and first-born child in the same week.
“It’s difficult for me. It is difficult for my parents to deal with their son and granddaughter. The pain I heard and felt from that grieving mother has shaken my spirit,” Cormier said. “No one should have to go through that. No one should have to experience that pain. “She is a strong, strong woman.”
Matilda was full of energy and loved to dance for family members when they visited the Cormier home, Scott said.
Eiryn is from Venezuela so Matilda could speak Spanish, French and English.
“She mixed it up a little bit, obviously at that age, but, wow, she was a bright kid,” Cormier said. “It’s hard to say goodbye to that kind of pure energy, that positivity that you see in a child. “We were all hoping to see her grow up and see her be the brilliant lady she could have been.”
Four-year-old Matilda Cormier died following an accident in New Brunswick on December 15, 2024. (Submitted)
The family organized a reduced Christmas for Matilda’s sister, Emilia, to try to make things a little easier for her.
“He’s obviously wondering where his older sister is. So it had a kind of Christmas where we all put on our fake smiles and made it as festive as possible, but for us, maybe in a month. “I’m not sure,” Cormier said.
Matilda’s step-grandmother, Heather Parsons, said Matilda loved dressing up as a Disney princess and singing and dancing for her grandparents.
“She was the joy of our lives. She was fun, she danced, she loved gymnastics, she loved the outdoors, she loved the beach, and she loved her little sister. Those two were inseparable,” Parsons said.
Parsons said Matilda would have turned five in March.
“Actually, it has been hell on Earth. It’s like you’re living a terrible nightmare every day. Especially when you look around and everything reminds you of them,” Parsons said. “We will miss her forever, although I truly believe she will never leave us and neither will Chris. We will just love them forever.”
Chris and Eiryn opened the dental clinic in their hometown in June.
Chris’ cousin Amy Smith said the couple were great business partners who really complemented each other.
“It was nice to see everything fall into place for them. Chris was just a do-it-all guy. A very kind, kind-hearted and determined person,” Smith said. “He was just a calm, quiet guy, but he always showed up for the family. Very loyal.”
The accident that claimed their lives and that of a 32-year-old woman from Moncton occurred around 5:30 pm on Sunday, December 15.
Two vehicles collided head-on near an overpass on Highway 15, not far from the airport.
Chris Cormier was sent to Moncton Hospital, where he later died.
Matlida Cormier was taken to IWK Hospital in Halifax and died five days later.
In a news release sent out on Dec. 21, the RCMP said the investigation is ongoing.
One of Eiryn’s friends created a GoFundMe campaign to help her financially during this incredibly difficult time.
As of Friday afternoon, nearly $50,000 had been raised.
The family will receive condolences for Matilda and Chris on Sunday and in their memory a contribution to the IWK Hospital in Halifax would be appreciated.
Scott Cormier said a massive tragedy like this magnifies the importance of connecting and spending time with family.
“You always think there’s another week and you always think that plans can be postponed and everything will work out next time. No. Call now. It doesn’t matter what the reason is why you don’t talk. Fix it, appreciate the family you have,” Cormier said. “And most importantly: be very careful on the roads.”
