SENATORS’ STATEMENTS — Canadian Police and Peace Officers' Memorial Service
September 30, 2020
Honourable senators, on Sunday, September 27, members of the Canadian police services honoured Canada’s fallen officers. This year’s ceremony, held virtually due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, was live-streamed from Parliament Hill.
This year’s memorial acknowledged the loss of Constable Allan Poapst and Constable Heidi Stevenson, who died in service this past year.
Constable Stevenson was a 48-year-old wife and mother of two from Antigonish, Nova Scotia. She was 1 of the 22 victims of the mass shooting in Nova Scotia in April. Heidi served the RCMP for 23 distinguished years.
Constable Poapst was killed in a traffic collision in Winnipeg on December 13, 2019. He was in his thirteenth year of service to the RCMP and left behind three teenaged daughters.
We honour their service and extend to their families our deepest sympathy.
In addition, today I would like to take a moment to honour the memory of OPP Constable Rick Verdecchia of the Huntsville detachment. In January 1981, 37-year-old Verdecchia was on patrol and attempted to inspect a vehicle that had fender damage. He was unaware that the occupants of the car were fleeing from a murder scene. They had killed a gas station attend over $14 worth of gas, and prior to that had stolen weapons from a nearby cottage. While approaching the vehicle, Rick was shot and left in a snowbank to die.
Their third victim was OPP Constable Neil Hurtubise, who had spotted the suspect vehicle speeding near Orillia, where I live. As Hurtubise approached them, he was shot several times in the face, neck and chest and they fled the scene. He was able to radio for help and eventually recovered from his injuries. He credits the thick notebook he kept in his chest pocket for saving his life.
Our communities were left reeling from this violent incident and the senseless deaths and injuries they caused. It motivated local citizens and police in our community to push for increased safety measures for patrol officers. Their efforts prompted some important changes, including widespread issuing of protective vests for officers and implementing the policy of two officers in a car at night.
Rick Verdecchia was remembered as an officer with the deepest sense of fairness and dedication. Left to grieve were his loving wife and his infant daughter.
Honourable senators, as we continue to live through a global pandemic and while facing trying and unsettling times for community safety, it is important to recognize the dangers police officers face each day as they serve and protect our communities. We owe it to them to work towards solutions to ensure their safety remains a priority. Thank you.