Two paramedics who died earlier this week in New Brunswick are now at home on the island after a procession that began in Saint John, Nebraska, early Friday morning and ended a few hours later in Souris, Pennsylvania.
Mike McKenzie and Jenna Croucher were among three people killed Tuesday when their ambulance and a truck collided in Melrose, N.B., about 12 kilometers southwest of the Confederation Bridge near Port Elgin.
The crash also killed Anne Martell, a 77-year-old Montague woman who was being transported as a patient in the ambulance. She has already been returned to PEI.
The procession for McKenzie and Croucher left Dolan Road Irving in Saint John around 1 p.m. and included about a dozen vehicles.
A number of other vehicles, including fire engines, police cars and ambulances, were parked on the side of the road and on overpasses as first responders saluted as the procession passed.
Several firefighters on an overpass greet PEI paramedics Mike McKenzie and Jenna Croucher as the procession taking them home to the island passes underneath it along the Trans-Canada Highway near Bayfield, New Jersey, on Friday. (Victoria Walton/CBC)
After passing through New Brunswick, the procession crossed the Confederation Bridge and entered PEI around 4 p.m.
Organizers said about 25 cars were waiting to join the procession as it entered the island.
Dozens of first responders from departments across the province lined the road leading from the Confederation Bridge to PEI, saluting and bowing their heads as the procession passed. Spectators also watched from the sidelines.
The procession made its first stop on the island at Queen’s Central Funeral Home in New Glasgow just after 5:30 p.m.
Bagpipes played as the procession entered the funeral home grounds, where emergency personnel were waiting. People cried and hugged as they got out of their cars.
James Orchard, general manager of Island EMS, has been with the procession since it left Saint John – a journey he described as very emotional.
“Honestly, once we got to the island it was overwhelming. I have no words,” he said.
Orchard described McKenzie as someone who has impressed many through his work as a paramedic, paramedic ambassador and mentor.
Visitation for McKenzie will be at Queen’s Central Funeral Home on Wednesday and Thursday from 3:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Firefighters greet the procession as it enters Jenna Croucher’s hometown of Souris, Pennsylvania, on Friday. (Steve Bruce/CBC)
The procession then continued to Dingwell Funeral Home in Souris, where it arrived Friday evening.
Visiting hours for Croucher will be held at the funeral home on Sunday from 3 to 8 p.m. Details of the regimental memorial service, which will take place in Charlottetown, will be announced in the coming days.
The Souris Fire Department prepared firefighters and trucks for Croucher’s return.
Chief Donnie Aitken said he has known Croucher and her family, including her father, PEI Education Minister Robin Croucher, who also worked as a paramedic, for quite some time.
“It’s really impossible to describe it in words. It’s painful. It’s very sad. And we know that nothing we do will change the outcome of this,” Aitken said. “We just hope and pray that we all get through this together.”
Aitken said showing support for the Croucher family is part of the firefighting culture.
“Right now we’re kind of holding Robin’s shoulder, and then the community is holding our shoulder and Robin’s shoulder at the same time,” he said.
“It’s been an emotional time for all of us since this happened.”
Many staff from the Souris Regional School took part in the procession. Jenna Croucher was a former student of the school. (Steve Bruce/CBC)
Souris Regional School Principal Lynn McPhee said many of the school’s staff taught Croucher and remember her from her time there.
“She didn’t mince words. She said it straight from the heart. For Jenna, she was adamant from the start of high school that she was going to become a paramedic,” McPhee said.
“You know, every time we lose a student, it just reminds us how fragile life is, and … as a K to 12 community, we see our students from the very moment they enter school.”
Chad Acorn of P.E.I. Ground Search and Rescue, who knew McKenzie for years and met Croucher’s father on multiple occasions, said the loss “hits you like a train.”
“They were doing what they love – helping others, helping the province, helping communities,” Acorn said.
“It’s great to see the community come to something like this. I think this is absolutely wonderful. This is very valuable to first responders.”
“When someone mourns, we all mourn.”
Pat Madsen, a primary care paramedic with Ambulance New Brunswick based in Grand Bay-Westfield, N.B., watched as the procession left Saint John earlier in the day.
He said the first responder community is close-knit.
“When someone grieves, we all grieve. When someone feels loss, we all feel it,” he said.
“Personally, I felt like I wanted to be here to show my respect and… more importantly, to show support for the families and loved ones of these healthcare workers.”
First responders stand and salute along a road in New Brunswick as a procession of Mike McKenzie and Jenna Croucher passes by. (Nipun Tiwari/CBC)
Stephanie Flanders, a New Brunswick Ambulance paramedic, said she wanted to hold the procession to show support for McKenzie and Croucher as they made their way home.
“It doesn’t matter that we never met them, we never crossed paths. They are part of the ambulance family and it’s heartbreaking that we lost two people,” Flanders said.
She hoped her presence – along with that of her colleagues – sent a message to Mackenzie and Croucher’s loved ones.
“I hope they feel the love and support from all New Brunswick paramedics.”
“We stand together”
Prime Minister Mark Carney posted on social media Friday afternoon, saying his thoughts are with the families of those killed in the crash and “with the communities of PEI who are mourning this tragic loss.”
A procession with PEI paramedics Mike McKenzie and Jenna Croucher passes the site where they both died in a two-vehicle crash on July 7 in Melrose Township, N.C. (Christina Cormier/CBC)
Joanne Dunphy, the mayor of Souris, said the city joins communities across the island in mourning an “unimaginable loss.”
“This loss has deeply impacted our community. One of those we welcome home was one of us, and today we do so with deep sadness, respect and gratitude for a life dedicated to caring for others,” Dunphy said in a written statement.
“As the procession enters Souris, we stand together as a community to honor a life of service and show the family that they are not alone. We hope our presence will bring at least a small amount of comfort during this incredibly difficult time.”
Darrell Coffin, president of Atlantic 911 Ride, which organized the parade, said he was honored to pay tribute to McKenzie and Croucher.
“Today I am honored to be with their families, friends, colleagues and community to honor their lives, their service and the legacy they leave behind,” Coffin said.
“Mike and Jenna have dedicated their lives to answering the phone when others need it most, and now it’s our turn to answer the phone for them.”