A ceremony honouring New Brunswick peace officers who have died in the line of duty returned as a public memorial on Sunday morning.
Law enforcement, families, and other dignitaries gathered at the peace officers’ memorial monument in Fredericton along the Saint John River for the service’s first in-person ceremony since 2019.
Included in the ceremony was an honour roll of 34 peace officers, whose names are also engraved on the monument.
Nadine Larche, the wife of Const. Douglas Larche who was killed in the line of duty in Moncton in 2014, spoke at the ceremony as a representative for families of fallen officers.
Saturday would’ve marked the Larche’s 22nd wedding anniversary.
This Tuesday, June 4, will mark 10 years since the Moncton shooting that killed three RCMP officers: Const. Larche, Const. Dave Ross, and Const. Fabrice Gevaudan.
“To the families of our fallen peace officers and police officers, we share your pain, we share your pride,” said Larche. “We remember their laughter, their love, and the moments that we shared together.”
Larche also spoke about renewing support for officers currently serving.
Officers march to the New Brunswick Peace Officers’ Memorial in Fredericton on June 2, 2024. (CTV/Nick Moore) “Let us stand by them, acknowledging the challenge that they face and the risk that they take every single day,” said Larche. “It is our collective duty to ensure their service is met with respect, and that their families are embraced with unwavering support demonstrated by things like today.”
The memorial was first dedicated in 1997, and public ceremonies at the monument have traditionally been held every two years. In 2021, the ceremony was scaled back due to COVID-19. In 2023, the ceremony was cancelled due to a severe weather warning.
Woodstock police chief Gary Forward, who is also president of the New Brunswick Police Chiefs’ Association, said the return of an open and public ceremony was important to officers in attendance.
“It’s an ongoing duty and responsibility that we have to each other, and something certainly that we want to share with the community,” said Forward.
