The candlelight vigil in honour of Elijah-lain Beauregard was held on Sunday night at the Sails in downtown Kelowna.
Dozens of people showed up to mourn the death of the 16-year-old boy and participated by lighting a candle in his honour and sharing memorable stories.
“It was a little more emotional for me, but we were able to get through it,” said Robyn Beauregard, Eli’s father. “It was overwhelming to know that he touched so many lives. It definitely means a lot.”
The previous night, on July 6, Beauregard held a candlelight vigil at a skate park in Penticton, where he said Eli spent much of his young life growing up. According to his father, between 100 and 150 people gathered there.
A longtime friend of Eli’s attended both the Kelowna and Penticton vigils with his mother, who also knew Eli growing up.
“I’ve known him since the first or second grade,” 17-year-old Ayden Chura said. “Me and that kid, we were always together and we just had an inseparable bond.
“That kid had too much heart. (He) would do anything for you… he didn’t deserve anything like this.”
“It’s (the) really sad and prevalent issues that bring everybody together,” Beauregard said. “A lot of the talk has been about bringing people together more often about positive things.”
READ MORE: The life of Eli’s father: How a youth stab-victim ended up on the streets
Eli was stabbed at around 11:00 p.m. on June 27, on Bernard Avenue, near Water Street. Five days later, on July 2, RCMP reported the 16-year-old had died in hospital.
“It was devastating news,” Beauregard said. “The doctor said (he) was the hardest person to try and bring back in over 20 years.”
READ MORE: Stabbing victim succumbs to injuries in Kelowna hospital
Eli had been living on and off the streets in Kelowna for three months before the stabbing. His father said Eli found a group of friends, had stability and even started attending a few classes at a downtown school in the months before his death.
RCMP are still investigating the crime and urge anyone with possible information to contact the Serious Crime Unit (SCU) at 250-762-3300.
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