A crowd of hundreds gathered at the Inukshuk at Sunset Point in Collingwood last night to grieve the death of Kinga ‘Kay’ Kriston.
“This is where Kay would have been tonight,” said friend and colleague Lisa Green. “Eager to carry out her full moon affirmations and swim in the bay.”
Kriston, 55, was found dead in her home in Georgian Meadows on Friday, June 10, and police have since announced they are investigating her death as a homicide.
“She was taken far too soon,” said Acting Mayor Keith Hull, who addressed the crowd at the start of the vigil on June 14. “We will watch the sun go down and remember Kay, however we may have known her.”
Green told the crowd she met Kriston when she became a realtor with Sutton Group about five years ago.
“She was like a kid in a candy store,” recalled Green, remembering all the activities Kriston would finish before 10 a.m. – grocery shopping, swimming in the bay, shooting some local photos, taking a hike, etc. “She loved meeting new people and she took full advantage of the region.”
Kriston was a skier, hiker, biker, golfer, baker and more.
“She did it all and she did it well,” said Green.
“Her one true love in her life was her daughter, Sarah,” said Green, then turning her attention to Kriston's teen daughter, who attended the vigil with her father, stepmother and friends. “She was so proud of you.”
Local realtor Marcia Alderson, who goes by 'Queen M' for her music career, led the crowd in the song Lean on Me.
"This community always turns up, and we can lean on each other," said Alderson.
Bam528, also a locally based musician, said he knew Kriston through ski racing and as her gardener and friend.
“You are the greatest community that I’ve ever lived amongst,” said Bam528. “I know she felt the same way. We would talk about how wonderful it is here. That’s all we talked about. That and skiing.”
He encouraged those in the crowd to reach out and talk to each other and not to suffer anything in isolation.
Collingwood OPP Sgt. Chris Maecker was among the last to speak. He told the crowd he didn’t know Kriston in life, but has learned a lot about her over the past few days.
“Thank you to the community for allowing space to grieve and remember her,” said Maecker. “If I could say one thing, it would be, let’s put a spotlight on her and not the accused.”
Police have charged 57-year-old John Collins, of Orillia, with first-degree murder in connection with their investigation into Kriston’s death.
None of the allegations have been tested in court.
