Construction executive among those on Ethiopian flight

A construction executive was among the 157 people on the fatal Ethiopian Airlines flight 302 that crashed March 10.

Darcy Belanger, 47, was the director of U.S. Professional Development for the Edmonton, Canada-based PCL Construction, which has U.S. headquarters in Denver.

“The entire PCL family of companies across Canada and the United States are deeply shocked and saddened about the untimely passing of one of our own…Our thoughts and prayers are with Darcy’s family and friends during this difficult time,” PCL said in a Facebook post earlier this month.

Belanger was on a personal trip to the United Nations Environment Assembly in Nairobi, Kenya, where he planned to advocate on behalf of the Arctic Circle.

The plane, a Boeing 737 that departed from an airport in Addis Ababa, crashed six minutes after takeoff, leaving no survivors. The cause of accident is still under investigation.

“Admired for his courage, outstanding achievements, and noble qualities, Darcy was a hero in every sense of the word,” wrote Devi Parvati, who founded a nonprofit organization along with Belanger called MAPS, on her website. “He was passionately devoted to the protection of all life through the realization of MAPS, the Marine Arctic Peace Sanctuary. On March 10, 2019, he died while on his way to serve that goal.”

In Kenya, Belanger was slated to meet with government officials, media and a growing pan-African volunteer contingent in support of MAPS. The organization hopes to create the world’s largest protected area in the Arctic Circle, Parvati said.

“Darcy was truly a champion and a force of nature, one whose passing leaves an unimaginable gap in this work as well as in the lives of his family, friends and colleagues. Yet he also leaves us with a deep determination to honor his legacy of courage, compassion and focus,” Parvati wrote. “He dedicated his life to moving MAPS to completion. Our MAPS global family, hundreds strong and all volunteers, is rallying like never before to ensure that all Darcy’s work is seen through to completion.”

Belanger is survived by his wife, Amie.