City of St. Catharines unveils new fallen firefighters memorial

A new memorial honouring firefighters who have fallen in the line of duty is officially open at a City parkette in Downtown St. Catharines.

City of St. Catharines officials, members of the Fallen Firefighters Memorial Task Force, representatives of the St. Catharines Professional Firefighters Association and others gathered Tuesday, September 29 to unveil the St. Catharines Fallen Firefighters Memorial to the community and celebrate the completion of this important project.

“Today, we honour our fallen firefighters as they deserve to be honoured: at a memorial built by the community they gave everything to protect,” said Fire Chief Dave Upper. “The Fallen Firefighters Memorial is a space where we can pause, say thank you and pay our respects. For our fallen members and the families of those we've lost, it’s a place where their sacrifices will never be forgotten.

The Fallen Firefighters Memorial, located at the corner of Race and Carlisle streets near the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, honours members of the St. Catharines Fire Services who died in the line of duty or from work-related illnesses. The memorial also honours volunteer firefighters who died while serving in various St. Catharines wards and townships before the St. Catharines Professional Firefighters Association Local 485 was established in 1919.

The memorial features bronze statues of male and female firefighters and a granite wall with bronze plaques with the names fallen firefighters. The memorial also includes flag poles, custom metal signage, fire hydrant bollards, trees and other landscaping elements, benches and a large concrete pad with a Maltese Cross.

The City's Fallen Firefighters Memorial Task Force collaborated with CFC Supply to design and install the memorial. The task force also identified the site for the memorial and led a major donor campaign to raise $400,000 to cover the full costs for the project.

“This Fallen Firefighters Memorial started with a conversation more than a decade ago, and to finally stand here and see it completed is incredibly meaningful,” said Barry Katzman, chair of the task force. “I’ve been honoured to work alongside so many people who stayed committed to making sure the firefighters we have lost are remembered properly and the community is enriched with a beautiful park. This is something that will belong to St. Catharines for generations.

“What makes this project especially remarkable is how various stakeholders came together to make it happen. More than $500,000 was donated from the private sector to help create this memorial and public space. That level of support says a lot about this community and how deeply it respects its firefighters and the service and sacrifice represented here.”

The St. Catharines Professional Firefighters Association Local 485 was also a proud contributor to the project as one of the first major $50,000 donors to the fundraising campaign and with members sitting on the task force.

“On behalf of our executive board and our entire membership, I would like to express our sincere appreciation to the Mayor and City Council, task force chair Barry Katzman, and all of the members of the committee for joining together with us to create this fitting memorial to our members who made the ultimate sacrifice while protecting the citizens of St. Catharines,” said Ryan Madill, Association president.

“We are also incredibly grateful to all of the donors whose generosity helped make this memorial possible. Their support, along with the efforts of everyone involved, has helped create a lasting tribute to those who gave so much in service to our community.”