A new memorial honouring St. Catharines firefighters who died in the line of duty is officially open at a downtown parkette.
The St. Catharines Fallen Firefighters Memorial, located at the corner of Race and Carlisle streets near the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, was unveiled to the community on Tuesday, September 29, according to a City of St. Catharines news release.
City officials, members of the Fallen Firefighters Memorial Task Force and representatives of the St. Catharines Professional Firefighters Association gathered for the unveiling to celebrate the completion of the project.
The memorial honours members of St. Catharines Fire Services who died in the line of duty or from work-related illnesses. It also pays tribute to volunteer firefighters who died while serving in St. Catharines wards and townships before the firefighters association Local 485 was established in 1919.
"Today, we honour our fallen firefighters as they deserve to be honoured: at a memorial built by the community they gave everything to protect," Fire Chief Dave Upper told the gathering, according to the City of St. Catharines.
"The Fallen Firefighters Memorial is a space where we can pause, say thank you and pay our respects," Upper said. "For our fallen members and the families of those we've lost, it's a place where their sacrifices will never be forgotten."
A decade in the making
The memorial features bronze statues of male and female firefighters and a granite wall with bronze plaques bearing the names of fallen firefighters. The site also includes flag poles, custom metal signage, fire hydrant bollards, trees and other landscaping, benches, and a large concrete pad with a Maltese Cross.
The City's Fallen Firefighters Memorial Task Force worked with CFC Supply to design and install the memorial. The task force chose the site and led a donor campaign that originally aimed to raise $400,000 to cover the project's full costs.
"This Fallen Firefighters Memorial started with a conversation more than a decade ago, and to finally stand here and see it completed is incredibly meaningful," task force chair Barry Katzman told the gathering, according to the City of St. Catharines.
"More than $500,000 was donated from the private sector to help create this memorial and public space," Katzman said. "That level of support says a lot about this community and how deeply it respects its firefighters and the service and sacrifice represented here."
Firefighters' union among first donors
The St. Catharines Professional Firefighters Association Local 485 was one of the first major donors to the campaign, contributing $50,000, with members also serving on the task force.
"On behalf of our executive board and our entire membership, I would like to express our sincere appreciation to the Mayor and City Council, task force chair Barry Katzman, and all of the members of the committee for joining together with us to create this fitting memorial to our members who made the ultimate sacrifice while protecting the citizens of St. Catharines," association president Ryan Madill told the gathering, according to the City of St. Catharines.
"We are also incredibly grateful to all of the donors whose generosity helped make this memorial possible," Madill said. "Their support, along with the efforts of everyone involved, has helped create a lasting tribute to those who gave so much in service to our community."
