Calgarians mourn girl's tragic death

Calgarians have been finding ways to pay their respects as a family mourns the tragic loss of their little girl.

Michelle Krsek, 3, was killed in a freak accident last weekend whenviolent winds blew a piece of metal more than three metres long off an 18-storey building in downtown Calgary,killing herand injuring her brother and father.

Scot Paisley, a Calgary artist, said Friday he was overcome with emotion when he heard about the tragic circumstances of Krsek's death:her tender age, her innocence and the violent way her death occurred.

"I just slumped in the chair in shock," he said. "To be hit by something so forceful it's very difficult, and then you wonder why something like that occurs to someone."

But instead of crying Paisley went to his easel. Working fromphotographs of the tot heclipped fromlocal newspapers, he has started to paint her portrait, a tribute he hopes to give to the family.

"This came out rapidly," he said of the portrait. "I started it Monday morning it was like a flood of emotion of needing to paint this."

Paisley is not alone in his anguish.

Family and friends have brought teddy bears and flowers to amakeshift memorial near the 18-storey Le Germain Calgary an upscale condominium and office towerunder construction and the source of the fatal debris.

Anna Janos said Friday wasespecially difficult for the Krseks:It would have been Michelle's fourth birthday.

The tragedy "could happen to anyone but we know them very well and it's very, very sad," she said.

Michelle's father, Miroslav, and brother Eric wereinjured in the accident.Miroslav Krsekremains in hospital with serious injuries.