Emergency workers honoured at FREX ceremony
Volunteers moved by organized thank you

SUPPORT FROM YOUNGSTERS: The YMCA day care showed its support to those who serve and protect during a parade Wednesday afternoon. From left are; Caroline Chase, 4, Tahara Briggs, 3, Adian Walls, 3, Paris Lamereau, 4, Shannon Goodine , 4, Emily DeGrace, 3, and Holly Gourley-Parks, 6. The Daily Gleaner/Dave Smith Photo

LORI GALLAGHER
for The Daily Gleaner

The Fredericton Exhibition and the Fredericton Assembly of the Knights of Columbus hosted the first Serve and Protect Day at the FREX on Wednesday afternoon.

"We wanted to honour all of the men and women that serve and protect the citizens of New Brunswick on a daily basis," said Thom Joordens, the event co-ordinator.

Organizers invited fire fighters, municipal police, RCMP, Salvation Army emergency workers, coast guard, search and rescue, Red Cross, Canada Customs, St. John Ambulance and paramedics to take part in the day.

"All of these people usually come together in a panic or emergency situation," said Joordens. "We wanted to get them together without the emergency."

Actually, the organizers wanted to do much more than just get the emergency workers together.

"Today we're honouring them," he said.

They asked everyone to wear full uniform and medals, as well as to bring any flags, said Joordens.

"We're looking at about 300 in the parade."

The event began with a parade that started from Old Government House on the Woodstock Road around 1:30 p.m. It made its way along Rookwood Avenue and Saunders Street then onto the exhibition grounds.

The parade entered the coliseum at 2 p.m. led by the Pioneers from the second battalion Royal Canadian Regiment out of Canadian Forces Base Gagetown, followed by the colour guard from the Knights of Columbus in Oromocto. Behind them came all of the different groups of emergency workers.

POLICE MARCH: Fredericton Police Chief Mac Carlisle, right, marches with other members of the police force in the parade honoring those who serve and protect. The Daily Gleaner/Dave Smith Photo

Two bands, the Highland Pipes and Drums and the St. Andrews Junior Pipe Band, piped the marchers in.

Following the inspection of the troops by Lt.-Gov. Marilyn Trenholme Counsell and speeches by a few of the dignitaries present, two minutes of silence was held for those emergency service workers who had died, including those killed on Sept. 11.

After the ceremony wrapped up with the singing of Oh Canada, everyone was invited to stay for the FREX stage show.

For those taking part in the parade and ceremony, such as members of the Search and Rescue, the event was very special.

"My heart was just going and then we walked by kids with a You Are Our Hero sign and my eyes welled up," said Erin Tufts, who has been a member of York Sunbury Search and Rescue for two years. "You don't often hear that."

"It's a job somebody has to do. We don't really think about it," said Penny Grant, a member for 12 years, adding that when they see people it's usually an emergency situation, so people have other things on their mind than thanking the emergency workers.

Both agreed that it was wonderful to be recognized, though. They also hope it will draw new volunteers to York Sunbury Search and Rescue. The group has set up a booth at the exhibition in hopes of attracting interested people to new members night being held on Sept. 18.

Serve and Protect Day 2002 wrapped up Wednesday evening with a banquet at the Fredericton Inn featuring Margaret-Ann Blaney, Minister of Public Safety, as the guest speaker and a show put on by performers from the FREX.