Paying tribute
Commemorative bench installed in honour of Truro constable
The people of Truro gathered around a stately maple tree in front of the police station back in 2015 to remember Catherine Campbell, a constable with the force whose life had been tragically cut short.
This morning a bench beside that tree will be dedicated in Const. Campbell’s memory.
The Atlantic Police Association, the union Local 102 and the Town of Truro have contributed to sponsoring the bench placement.
Pressed Metal, the company that does the custom badge work for the dress uniforms of Truro Police Service, donated the plaque on the bench.
“The bench is to honour the memory of Const. Campbell,” said Inspector Rob Hearn of the Truro Police. “The location is facing the police station and near the tree that became a focal point of the community to place flowers, cards and ribbons after Catherine’s death.”
The Town of Truro is placing 20 benches around the Civic Square this spring and has offered organizations or individuals the chance to sponsor them.
Truro Police Service will dedicate the bench in Catherine Campbell’s name during their Constable Catherine Campbell’s Kids Awareness Day event being held today.
The event runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and includes games, touch-a-truck, draws for bicycle helmets, a barbecue and a visit from Police Service Dog Onyx.
Of the 20 benches, 14 have already been spoken for. For $1,500 the town installs the bench with a commemorative plaque and maintains them for 10 years.
Non-profit organizations can get a discounted price of $1,365.58.
More information on the bench program is available on the town website: truro.ca
Other Civic Square
improvements
The town has also purchased 100 chairs and 25 bistro tables for use around the Civic Square.
Town planner Jason Fox says the tables and chairs are a lightweight steel – low maintenance and moveable.
“We’re not sure just how we are going to arrange those or make use of them but the idea is to provide people a place to eat their lunch during the day, for example,” said Fox.
“We want to make the Civic Square the kind of place where people want to hang out. And then, if we have concerts or other events, we’ll have lots of chairs.”
Fox says the town’s priority with the park this summer will be to watch the trees and grass and make sure they take hold and are well established.
Down the road, he says they are considering more benches and also a covering or shelter over the stage area. For those projects, they are looking at the potential for corporate sponsorship.
Fox and town public works staff have also done a tour of the town looking at sidewalks and open spaces.
“We want to clean up vegetation on the edge of sidewalks or coming up through cracks, we’re looking at places where the settling has been uneven and we want to remove those trip hazards – just generally neatening up the town and taking good care of things,” he said.
Fox says the town will be also erecting new, branded wayfinding signage around town in the next few weeks to replace what he calls “the old jumble of signs we have now.”