Moncton monument to fallen Mounties unveiled
Sculptures by Newfoundland artist honours officers gunned down two years ago
Nadine Larche appeared to choke back tears as she spoke of how her husband used to run along the riverfront in Moncton, steps away from where the slain RCMP officer has been immortalized in a bronze statue.
The monument of Doug Larche and two other officers, who died after being targeted by a gunman, was unveiled on Saturday in a small park next to the Petitcodiac River on the second anniversary of the tragedy.
It features life-size statues of Larche and officers Dave Ross and Fabrice Gevaudan. There are also personal touches to honour the three constables, their families and the Moncton community.
There are imprints of Larche’s sneakers and running medals at the base of his statue. His section also features ballet slippers for his daughters, who love to dance.
“There could be no better place to bring Doug home than to right here ... He loved to run and he ran on these very trails that we see here, ” Nadine Larche told the dozens of people who attended the memorial event under cloudy skies.
Morgan MacDonald, the Newfoundlandbased artist who created the monument, said he wanted to respect the legacy and memory of the three men.
MacDonald involved the families in the entire process, bringing some family members to his foundry in Logy Bay, N.L., to discuss the project and to have them work with clay.
“In this place on honour, what we have created will endure. It will last for centuries. Generations will come and go, but these sculptures will remain,” said MacDonald.
The monument features the three men wearing different uniforms — Larche in the red serge, Gevaudan in the working patrol uniform, and Ross in the uniform of a dog master.