He grew up in Coteau-du-Lac, Quebec, a kid so obsessed with flying he spent summers studying the sky and winters grinding through English just to meet cockpit requirements. Relatives remember a teenager who flew his first plane at 16 and never stopped chasing hours, courses, and certifications. By December 2022, he’d earned his place as a first officer with Jazz Aviation, operating for Air Canada Express, finally living the dream he’d built from scratch.

On Sunday night at LaGuardia, that dream collided with a nightmare. Port Authority responders were cleared to rush a fire truck across the same runway where his jet had been cleared to land. In seconds, two young pilots at the start of their careers were gone, while most of the 70 passengers walked away with minor injuries. Officials call it a “profound tragedy.” For his family, it’s simpler, and crueler: a bright, careful life cut short by a fatal, avoidable intersection of trust and timing.