River memorial will honour Fredericton officers killed in 2018 shooting

An illuminated bridge pier in the St. John Riverwill serve as a monument to fallen police officers in Fredericton, according to a plan unveiledby the city Thursday.

The first look at the plan comes six years after Fredericton police officersRobert Costello andSara Burns were killed while trying to helpDonald Adam Robichaudand Bobbie Lee Wright,who also died in the shooting.

Those events on Aug. 10, 2018, have stuck withCoun. Bruce Grandy's small north side community.

"In that specific community along Douglas Avenue, Oakland Avenue ... that bordered down to the event that happened, you know, they're all affected," he said in an interview.

WATCH | Fredericton city councillor explains the meaning of the blue light:

Six years after the Fredericton shooting, new memorial honours fallen officers

3 months ago

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'The Guardian,' a memorial that will illuminate a pier of the old Carleton Street bridge in blue each night, is a tribute to Const. Robert Costello and Const. Sara Burns, who were killed in an August 2018 shooting on the city's north side.

"They all have feelings that they're dealing with, and the emotions. And you know, over time of course those feelings tend to be less and go on, but people remember what happened there."

Grandy hopes the monument, called The Guardian, and benches on each side of the river will give residents an opportunity for reflection.

"I think the most important thingwe don't want to forget about that day. It wasn't just the police officers that gave their life, but it affected this whole community," Grandy said.

"The Guardian is meant to reflect on the first responders that gave their lives that day. And not only that but first responders on the whole that have given their lives over time."

When city engineering director Sean Lee suggested using a pier from the old Carleton Street bridge for the monument,Fredericton Police Chief Martin Gaudetsaid you could hear a pin drop.

"This memorial is not just a tribute to those who have served and continue to serve, but a beacon of hope and resilience for our entire community," he said.

"Those of us who were here that day, it's forever engrained in our minds."

Blue light will illuminate the pier starting at dusk, Grandy said, and will continue overnight until sunrise.

He said there's no cost estimate yet for the project, but said it would be approved by council during its fall budgeting process.

A Fredericton Police Force statement says the monument also serves as a signal of commitment from city police.

"It reminds us that even at times when we are not cognizant of it, police are out there, active, energized, alight, and protecting us," it said.

"They are our guardians, and this beautiful blue light on a beloved part of Fredericton's history will remind us every night."