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The two paramedics who died earlier this week in New Brunswick will be brought home to P.E.I. on Friday.
Mike MacKenzie and Jenna Croucher were among three people who died Tuesday in a collision in the community of Melrose, N.B., about 12 km southwest of the Confederation Bridge near Port Elgin.
Anne Martell, a 77-year-old woman from Montague who was being transported as a patient in the ambulance, also died in the crash.
A procession honouring MacKenzie and Croucher will begin Friday afternoon in Saint John, N.B., and make its way across the Confederation Bridge.
The procession is expected to leave from Dolan Road Irving in Saint John at approximately 1 p.m. It will make its way through New Brunswick before crossing into P.E.I. around 3:30 p.m.
The first stop on the Island will be Central Queen’s Funeral Home in New Glasgow, where the procession is expected to arrive around 4:25 p.m.
After a 30-minute pause, it will continue toward Dingwell Funeral Home in Souris, arriving at about 6:35 p.m.
‘We stand together’
Jo-Anne Dunphy, the mayor of Souris, said the town joins communities across the Island in mourning “an unimaginable loss.”
“This loss has deeply affected our community. One of those we are welcoming home was one of our own, and today we do so with profound 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 honour a life of service and to show the family that they are not alone. We hope our presence offers even a small measure of comfort during this incredibly difficult time.”
Organizers say the procession timeline is approximate and may be affected by weather and traffic conditions.
P.E.I. RCMP is asking the public to refrain from joining the procession in their vehicles, out of respect and for safety.
For those who want to be part of the event, RCMP is asking people to stand safely on the side of the road while the procession passes.
RCMP is also cautioning that the roads will be very busy Friday in the Resort Municipality area of the North Shore, so particular care should be taken there.
