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A man who died in Saturday's jet crash in Nunavut had survived a separate crash near Cambridge Bay, only three years ago, and had been living with a fear of being killed while flying again.
"It's very shocking. It don't seem real to any of us at all," said Meena Tibbo, whose uncle, Ches Tibbo, was among the 12 people killed when a First Air Boeing 737-200 crashed Saturday.
Ches Tibbo, who lived in the southern Newfoundland fishing village of Harbour Mille, had been on a plane in 2008 that hit the ground.
Meena Tibbo said it took her uncle almost three years to recover from those injuries.
'His family meant the world to him.'—Meena Tibbo, niece
"He was very scared to get on that plane," she told CBC News.
"But he tried to fight his fear, because he didn't want to go on it anymore," she said. "But he wanted to make a living for his wife and his daughter, and we were all so proud of him because he made that big step to go on that plane again, which he didn't want to."
She added: "His family meant the world to him."
The flight, which had been en route from Yellowknife to Resolute, was carrying 15 people, including a crew of four. The three survivors include a seven-year-old girl, who had been travelling with her six-year-old sister to visit their grandparents.
Among those killed was acclaimed Arctic researcher Marty Bergmann, who was heading to Resolute Bay to give Prime Minister Stephen Harper a tour of a new research facility there.
A friend said Bergmann led an equally rich home life in Winnipeg.
"He would do anything for his family," said Michelle Anderson.
"He was the kind of guy who dreamed big in all areas of his life. He had a huge skating rink that he would carefully tend all winter so he could play hockey with his sons."
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