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'Like losing a member of a family': Montrealers gather in honour of fallen firefighter

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Montreal -

Montrealers gathered in the city's Old Port Thursday in honour of Pierre Lacroix, one of four firefighters involved in an accident while trying to help another boat in distress in the Lachine Rapids earlier this month.

While everyone on the distressed boat was rescued, the firefighters' vessel capsized. Pierre Lacroix died after getting trapped underwater. He was 58-years-old.

"Morale is not very high," said Fire Chief Martin Guilbault. "You see, when we lose a firefighter in the line of duty, it's like losing a member of a family."

"Mr. Lacroix was a very good firefighter in two ways -- first, he was a very funny guy, but he was professional. He was very easy to have as part of a team," said Guilbault.

Those who worked with him said he took his dangerous job very seriously.

Firefighter Pierre Lacroix died during a rescue operation on the St. Lawrence River. (photo: Résidence funéraire J.J. Cardinal)
Firefighter Pierre Lacroix died during a rescue operation on the St. Lawrence River. (photo: Résidence funéraire J.J. Cardinal)


“The bell rings, and Pierre was always the first to answer the call for the Lachine department,” said Guilbault.

A procession of firefighters, accompanied by a band and the honour guard, walked from the Grand Quai of the Port of Montreal to Notre-Dame Basilica on Notre-Dame St. W. during Thursday’s memorial. The truck Lacroix would ride in was parked outside the site for the visitation.

An official funeral ceremony will be held Friday at noon at the Notre-Dame Basilica in Montreal.

The Montreal fire department and the Association des pompiers de Montréal (APM) added in a joint press release that an additional recognition ceremony will be held at the Palais des congrès de Montréal after the funeral ceremony.

-- Watch CTV Reporter Billy Shield’s report above for the full story 

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