Public funeral to be held for three Halifax-area children who died after house fire

A funeral will be held for three children who died due to a house fire in Lower Sackville, N.S.

HALIFAX — A public funeral service will be held Tuesday for three Halifax-area children who died after they were pulled from a burning home in Lower Sackville on Jan. 11.

The funeral is scheduled for 1 p.m. at the Rock Church Halifax for five-year-old Cayson Jermaine Loppie, his nine-year-old sister Alauna Marie Loppie, and their “special cousin,” six-year-old Chloe Margaret Greenough-Steiger.

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RCMP have said a 37-year-old woman and two-year-old child escaped the burning home and were not injured, and a 40-year-old man was rescued by a neighbour. Various online tributes and a GoFundMe page identified the couple as Tanya Steiger and husband Jermaine Loppie.

Firefighters rescued the three other children but they died later in hospital.

In his obituary, Cayson is described as a boy who loved superheroes. The online tribute goes on to say he became a hero as an organ donor. He died less than two weeks before his sixth birthday.

“He was the perfect mix of sweet and spicy,” the obituary says. “He loved tormenting his sisters and loving on them just the same. ‘Casey’ had a special bond with his mommy and loved being her little sidekick, loved the colour blue, Spider-man and wrestling with his Daddy .... He will forever be missed by his parents, Tanya and Jermaine.”

Grade 4 student Alauna Loppie was described as an “old soul” who cared deeply for her siblings and her parents.

“She was an avid singer and loved dancing,” her obituary says. “Alauna loved sleepovers at her best friend Kylee’s.”

The obituaries for Cayson and Alauna say they will be missed by their sisters Akaysia, Abianna and Mireya.

Six-year-old Chloe Greenough-Steiger, also known as “Clo-Clo,” was the daughter of Charles Steiger and Natalie Greenough.

“Chloe loved the outdoors, swimming and fishing,” her obituary says. “She loved all animals ΓǪ (and) wearing makeup and jewelry.”

The Mounties have said the cause of the fire is not considered suspicious.

The Atlantic Funeral Home in Lower Sackville says the funeral service will be streamed online.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 20, 2025.

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