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B.C. woman died in fiance's arms in London terror attack

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A B.C. woman killed in the London terror attacks died on London Bridge in the arms of her devastated fiancé.

Christine “Chrissy” Archibald grew up in Castlegar and moved to Europe to be with her future husband, Tyler Ferguson. She was with him on Saturday night when a rented van plowed through the sidewalk, striking pedestrians, including Archibald.

“Tyler is shattered into a million pieces. He held her and watched her die in his arms,” said Cassie Ferguson, the sister of Archibald’s fiancé, in a Facebook message.

In a post on the social media website, Cassie shared some of Ferguson’s shock and grief at the loss of a woman she described as “the love of his life.”

“In a split second his entire life was ripped away from him. Hearing his painful sobs on the phone while he’s alone trying to deal with this tears me apart,” wrote Cassie. Their parents are on their way to London to be with Ferguson.

Archibald, 30, was the first victim of what British Prime Minister Theresa May described as a “brutal terrorist attack” that began 10 p.m. Saturday local time when three men drove a white van into pedestrians on London Bridge.

The attackers, carrying blades and knives and wearing fake explosive vests, ran into Borough Market, where they stabbed people in different restaurants. Seven people were killed, in addition to the three men, who were shot by police. Another 48 were injured.

Archibald was a loving daughter and sister, said her family, and was by all accounts a giving person with a big heart who wanted to make the world a better place.

“She had room in her heart for everyone and believed strongly that every person was to be valued and respected,” said the family in a statement issued by spokesman Patrick Audet and distributed by Global Affairs Canada.

Archibald had worked at a homeless shelter before moving to Europe, and her family asked people to honour her memory by giving back to their communities.

“She would have had no understanding of the callous cruelty that caused her death,” said the statement. “Please honour her by making your community a better place. Volunteer your time and labour or donate to a homeless shelter. Tell them Chrissy sent you."

According to her LinkedIn profile, Archibald studied at business management at Langara College and social work at Mount Royal University in Calgary.

An emotional Audet said the Archibalds requested privacy as they tried to deal with the tragedy.

Castlegar Mayor Lawrence Chernoff knew Archibald and her twin sister Caroline their whole lives. He got the news of her death early Sunday.

“I could tell you that I was devastated,” he told Postmedia. “When you see these kids grow up and to see what happened …”

Chernoff has known the Archibald family for years — dad Greg is a retired Castlegar school teacher and the girls' mom is Barb.

He said the family was always a big part of the community of about 8,000.

“I picture the girls’ long blond hair. They were a huge part of the community. The went to school with my son,” said Chernoff in a phone interview from Ottawa where he was attending the Federation of Canadian Municipalities conference. Attendees had held a moment of silence for the London attack victims before Chernoff knew Archibald was one of them.

He believes Archibald was living with her fiancé in Amsterdam where he was working. The pair were in London because her fiancé was called there temporarily for work.

“It hurts when you see a terrorist act like this. You never think terrorism will affect a small community in the interior of B.C.,” he said.

“It is really sad. It is hard for me to talk about it. It is a close-knit community and I know it has devastated the community.”

On Sunday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned the “senseless attack.”

“I am heartbroken that a Canadian is among those killed,” he said in a statement. “We grieve with the families and friends of those who have lost loved ones, and wish all those injured a speedy and full recovery.”

B.C. Premier Christy Clark released a statement saying her thoughts are with Archibald’s family and those who knew and loved her.

"The individuals who carry out these acts of hate want to change us. They want to sow fear and division. Ultimately, they want us to turn on each other. They will never succeed.

"As her family and province mourn, we must never forget who we are — and the diversity that makes us strong."

NDP Leader John Horgan expressed his condolences in a tweet, using the hashtag #chrissysentme in reference to her family’s statement: “Thinking of BC's Christine Archibald, who passed in London. Let's honour her & never let hate win.”

The London attack was the third such incident in Britain in less than three months.

Two weeks ago, a suicide bomber blew himself up outside an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, killing 22 people.

In March, a man ran down people with a vehicle on Westminster Bridge in London, killing four before fatally stabbing a police officer on Parliament’s grounds.

lgrindlay@postmedia.com

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