Petition to name a walking trail in honour of Montreal firefighter who died during rescue operation

MONTREAL -

A petition has been launched to convince the City of Montreal to honour firefighter Pierre Lacroix, who died during a rescue operation on the Saint Lawrence River on Oct. 17.

Alexandra Lajeunesse is proposing that a kilometre-long walking trail that stretches along the banks of the river in the boroughs of Lachine, LaSalle and Verdun be renamed the Pierre Lacroix Trail.

Lajeunesse says she believes her proposal will preserve the memory of a man who sacrificed his life to save others, while also paying tribute to his three colleagues who also fell into the water during the rescue of a couple in distress.

Lacroix was 58-years-old, married and had two children.

His funeral was held last Friday at the Notre-Dame Basilica in Montreal in the presence of some 1,200 firefighters, mostly from Montreal, as well as from other regions of North America.

As of Thursday morning, the petition had gathered over 10,700 signatures.

-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Nov. 4, 2021.