Grade 9 students remember fallen Moncton Mounties on 2nd anniversary

It was a field trip filled with emotion for Grade 9 students at Birchwood Intermediate School as they marked the second anniversary of the death of three RCMP officers in Moncton.

The entire Grade 9 class followed a bagpiper through the streets of downtown Charlottetown to the cenotaph in front of Province House.

There, they were joined by the Royal Canadian Legion Colour Guard, veterans, members of the RCMP and the Charlottetown Police Service.

It was very tearful, shaking hands brought a lot of tearsRCMP Staff Sergeant MarkCrowther

"We're touched, we're proud and we're honoured to be here," said Staff Sgt. Mark Crowther, RCMP Queens District Commander.

"It's very nice to have Birchwood school step up and do this every year."

Loss of officers hits home

As the students gathered in a horseshoe around the cenotaph, one of their teachers read the biographies of the three RCMP officers.

Constables Doug Larche, Fabrice Gevaudan and Dave Ross were killed in the line of duty in Moncton on June 4, 2014, as they responded to a call of a man carrying weapons.

They listened to the playing of The Last Post, and three students laid roses on the cenotaph.

"We're a close group and we put our lives on the line every day," Crowther said. "And unfortunately sometimes that takes lives ... So to be recognized like this is very heartfelt."

Students say 'thank you'

The students lined up and shook hands with each of the officers, many saying, "Thank you," as they made their way through the line.

There were tears and a few hugs as the students finished making their way through the lineup.

Many of the RCMP officers were also feeling emotional.

"It was very tearful, shaking hands brought a lot of tears, and you can hear it in my voice now. It's an emotional time," said Crowther.

"Just looking into their eyes you could really see that they were upset, emotional," said student Matthew McKenna.

Traumatic event

This is the third year for the ceremony in honour of the fallen RCMP officers, organized by Dave Campbell, who's an educational assistant at Birchwood.

"Our students, in Grade 7 at the time, were impacted greatly. What really got the students was the families that were devastated," Campbell said.

"It was such a traumatic event for the Atlantic region to have something like this happen."

Tradition will continue