About 50 people gathered Friday evening at Clover Point, laying unlit candles and flowers around a photo of Cory Monteith, the Victoria-raised actor who died last weekend in Vancouver.
The actor, best known for his role as musical quarterback Finn Hudson in the hit TV series Glee, was found dead in his room at the Fairmont Pacific Rim last Saturday from a toxic combination of heroin and alcohol.
Organizers wanted the vigil to be focused on the actor, and chose to remain anonymous.
Some came down to honour Monteith’s family members and their loss, while others came because of the impact on their lives.
“I came down because I really wanted to honour Cory’s memory, he was definitely one of my idols,” said Kaylee Butler, a 16-year-old fan of the show.
Jayne Chapman, from Pickering, Ont., had seen Monteith perform in Dublin, Ireland, with her family as part of a live Glee concert in July 2011.
She said her husband and youngest son are huge fans of the show — regularly watching marathons of the show — and she came to pay tribute because her son was unable to.
She said Monteith’s death will help create a discussion about life and death in her family.
“It’s a conversation we’ll be having, about the pressures of fame and how you can make responsible life choices,” she said.
A similar event was held in Vancouver outside the hotel where Monteith died.
