An Orillia woman, a ‘bright and shining star,’ was killed in Sunday’s tragic Ethiopia Airlines crash that killed all 157 people on board.
Angela Rehhorn, a 2017 graduate of Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, had returned to her hometown to work with the Couchiching Conservancy as a participant in the Canadian Wildlife Federation’s Canadian Conservation Corps (CCC).
“From the moment she walked into our office, she was just such a bright shining star,” said Dorthea Hangaard, project manager for the Conservancy, who worked closely with Rehhorn.
“She was confident and smart and you could tell she loved what she did,” Hangaard told OrilliaMatters.
The CCC posted a statement about Rehhorn’s death on their website this evening:
It is with deep sadness that we share the news of the sudden and tragic passing of the Canadian Wildlife Federation’s Canadian Conservation Corps participant, Angela Rehhorn.
Angela was chosen to participate in the United Nations Environmental Assembly in Nairobi as part of the United Nations Association of Canada’s, Canada Service Corps Program, and was on her way there when the plane crashed early Sunday.
Angela was part of CCC Group 5, "The Mountain Goats."
She had recently completed a Bsc at Dalhousie University and was thrilled to be part of the CCC program. Her experience took her to Alberta where she went backpacking in Kananaskis this past fall and then to Pacific Rim National Park in BC for her field training.
At the time of her passing, Angela had just completed volunteering her time to do species surveys and was developing a citizen science project on bat conservation. She was especially interested in the marine environment and looked forward to expanding her experience in this area.
Being selected to attend this UN Assembly is a testament to the tremendous contributions and value Angela and her fellow CCC cohorts bring to the future of conservation.
“Angela shared the excitement and optimism of volunteering and working to improve our world. Her life is an inspiration to us all,” said Rick Bates, CEO of the Canadian Wildlife Federation.
Rehhorn had been volunteering to do species surveys and was developing a citizen project on bat conservation.
"Our hearts are broken," said Hangaard. "It's just devastating."
Rehhorn grew up in Orillia and enjoyed sports. The Patrick Fogarty Catholic Secondary School graduate was a competitive swimmer with the Orillia Channel Cats.
The 149 passengers on board and eight crew members on flight ET302 were killed six minutes after takeoff Sunday. The cause of the accident is not yet known.
Ethiopian Airlines has said it will investigate the cause, along with the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority and the Ethiopian Transportation Authority.
