A very special display is now part of the growing Belleville Festival of Lights.
The Pieter Kort family donated a display in memory of young daughters Joni and Madeline who were killed in a tragic three-vehicle collision while on March break in 2022.
Pieter Kort spoke of the significance of the centrepiece of the display, a heart.
After the tragedy, the community rallied behind the family and staged the “Held in our Hearts” campaign.
” … still and will always be near and dear to our hearts, the heart signifies that. It signifies not only the legacy of our girls but also the legacy of the support we felt from this community and continue to feel to this day.”
The Kort family set up two foundations in honour of Madeline and Joni, the Dolphin and Penguin Foundations and each year fundraising dollars are donated to children and families in need.
During his address Friday night, Pieter Kort offered high praise for the hard work the city’s employees do to put up all of the displays, a sentiment shared by a cheering audience.
Pieter Kort speaks to the crowd at the Belleville Festival of Lights Friday night November 14, 2025. To the left are his wife Jamie and daughter Hannah.
