A Nova Scotia pilot has etched a tribute across the sky for Lee-Marion Cain, an eight-year-old boy who was recently killed in a brazen shooting.
The child, affectionately known to his loved ones as Mar Mar, is remembered for his endless potential, his love of high-fives and his snappy wardrobe. He was killed on Dec. 21 after being shot in a car in Dartmouth.
The loss of such a young life has shaken the community of North Preston, where Lee-Marion was a Grade 3 student at Nelson Whynder Elementary School. It has also sent shockwaves of grief across the province.
“Sometimes, there are just no words to explain how you feel,” said Dimitri Neonakis, a private pilot known for creating expressive flight paths over the province.
“An eight-year-old becoming a victim of violence, losing his life … it’s hard to put words to this.
“Violence has no place in Nova Scotia. Violence has no place in our homes. Violence has no place in our communities.”
Neonakis said he was recently contacted by Quentrel Provo, an anti-violence advocate and a relative of Lee-Marion, to create a tribute for the boy.
On Boxing Day, Neonakis took to the skies in his Cirrus S22 to write “Mar,” accompanied by a heart, over the boy’s home community of North Preston.
The flight took about two hours to complete, he said.
“It’s something I do for communities when they’re being shaken up, hit hard,” said Neonakis. “These drawings, they bring some comfort to the ones directly affected.”
‘A little bit of comfort’
It’s not the first time Neonakis has used his small aircraft to leave messages of hope in difficult times.
It all began in April 2020, when he flew in a heart-shaped pattern above the community of Portapique, N.S., in the wake of a mass shooting that left 22 people dead.
Neonakis has also honoured the six Canadian Armed Forces soldiers that died in the crash of a CH-148 Cyclone helicopter on April 29, 2020, as well as a toddler who went missing in Truro, N.S., the same year.
The pilot said the flight paths bring some solace to people who are grieving. Since leaving his tribute for Lee-Marion, he has heard from some of the family members who appreciated the aerial drawing.
“They seem to bring some rays of sunshine in people’s dark hours,” he said. “It makes me happy that these sky writings bring a bit of joy in people’s pain, and a little bit of comfort.”
Neonakis, who also runs a pilot program for children with special needs and is currently raising money for Feed Nova Scotia, said he likes to help people and is happy to use his skills to do so.
“Whatever I can do to help, even if it’s writing in the sky,” he said.
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