Moncton Mounties remembered with tree planting on Hildegard Drive

A citizens group in Moncton, N.B.is installing a living memorial to the RCMP officers who were killed in an attack last June.

Justin Bourque was given five life sentences last October, with no chance of parole for 75 years after three Mounties died in the attackon June 4th.

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Hildegard Drive is part of the path Bourque took on his shooting rampageand for most residents, the street will always remind them of that day three officers were shot and killed and two others injured.

On Saturday, around 200 people braved adamp morning to take back their neighbourhood by planting 74 trees along the route.

The idea came from a group of citizens who wanted to spruce up the area before the siege, but after seeing their street featured on news coverage all over Canada, they decided tomove ahead with it as a gesture to honour the dead Mounties.

Darren Poirier and his family have lived in the neighbourhood for ten years and saythey have the best neighbours.

The group raised close to $50,000 for the project and the planting went ahead with sets of three red maple trees being planted to represent the three officers who died.

The families of the Mounties killed are also taking part in the planting.

A number of first respondersattendeda ceremony later in the day whereagroup of students from local schools presentedthankyou cards to them.