Noel Johansen, who holds American, Canadian and British citizenship, could barely hold back the tears as he spoke at a vigil in the aftermath of the recent Vancouver tragedy where a car had driven into a crowd who'd gathered for a festival changing his life forever. The celebrations, intended to honour Filipino heritage, had ended in disaster for his costume designer and painter wife Jenifer Darbellay, who was just 50 when she died in the senseless attack.

He was visibly emotional at a Vancouver vigil today (May 1) as he and 15-year-old son Ford faced the crowd. His artist wife was one of 11 people killed, while dozens of others, including seven-year-old daughter Darbey, the baby of their family, were injured. The tragedy took place at the Lapu Lapu Day Block Party on Saturday (April 26), and the driver of the car has been charged with second-degree murder.

Noel was on crutches at the vigil but said the injury he'd endured paled in comparison to the suffering he felt at losing his wife.

Addressing the crowd, he shared: "What you see here is an injury that means nothing to me because what’s inside my heart is broken.

"My wife passed away behind me at the incident. She never celebrated herself in her life. She never thought of herself; she thought of herself as small in terms of the reach."

However, he countered: "I can tell you she was larger than life for any of you who know her - so don’t be small in life, be big, reach out and reach out as a human being with everything you have, and please remember us who went through this."

A friend and business partner, Michael Daingerfield, wrote a tribute via a GoFundMe page he'd set up, telling the world: "I am literally in shock as I write this - but I want to do something for Noel and his two children Ford, 15, and Darby, 7.

"This is an incredibly difficult time for Noel, and moving forward with his life is going to feel insurmountable.

"Jen was a one-of-a-kind. She was an incredibly thoughtful, warm, caring, smart, stylish, artistic woman. A gifted painter, a selfless mother, and a loving wife.

"She gave the best hugs, was always there to listen without judgement, and had the sweetest voice."

Meanwhile, Noel is famous for numerous films, including Garage Sale Mystery: All That Glitters, When Calls the Heart, Harvest Love, and Roux the Day: A Gourmet Detective Mystery.