Mom, daughter celebrated

Loved ones of a slain mother and daughter celebrated their lives with one of the pair's favourite activities — dancing.

More than a thousand people attended the memorial service for Sara Baillie, who was 34, and her five-year-old daughter, Taliyah Marsman.

Scott Hamilton, Baillie's uncle, told the church he was tired of mourning and wanted an opportunity to celebrate.

With that, he and his son, Justin, pulled sunglasses out of their suit pockets and put them on, gave each other a high five and danced to Michael Jackson's "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough."

Guests stood up and joined in.

Taliyah's father, Colin Marsman, compiled a slide show with pictures of the curly-haired little girl mugging for the camera, playing in a park and dressed up for a dance recital.

At the front of the church sanctuary was a table with two urns, stuffed animals, flowers, a sequined red dance outfit and a soccer jersey.

Agatha Mardinger, Taliyah's stepsister, said her life was changed the moment the two met.

"She was kind, smart, beautiful and full of light," she said.

Taliyah's cousin, Nina Cox, read a poem that was written by the girl's great uncle called "Message to Daddy."

Baillie's mother, Janet Fredette, spoke briefly to reporters before the service.

"We are, of course, overcome with grief by the unnecessary loss of two beautiful members of our family," Fredette read from a family statement.

"Despite our grief we are also overwhelmed by the strength that this community has given us.

"The Calgary Police Service, our friends and hundreds, if not thousands, of unknown community members have shown us how to be strong.

"Thank you for your support Calgary, Alberta and Canada."

Baillie was found dead in her northwest Calgary home on July 11, but Taliyah was not there and an Amber Alert was issued.

The little girl's body was found days later in a rural area east of the city.

A Calgary man, Edward Downey, faces two counts of first-degree murder.

Police have said he knew both Baillie and Taliyah, but it's not clear how.

An obituary said mother and daughter were inseparable and described Baillie as a dedicated mother who had an unflinching love for her daughter.

It said Taliyah, who recently finished kindergarten and had just learned to ride a bike, was a funny girl who never left home without her sparkly purse filled with lotions and lipsticks.

In lieu of flowers, the family asked that donations be made to the Missing Children's Society of Canada.