Montreal honours fallen firefighter
Posted October 29, 2021 3:30 pm.
Last Updated October 30, 2021 11:38 am.
Mourners gathered Friday to bid farewell to a Montreal firefighter who died tragically while taking part in a nighttime water rescue.
Pierre Lacroix of the Montreal fire department drowned Oct. 17 after the rescue boat he was in capsized and he became trapped underneath it.
At an official funeral that drew hundreds of his fellow firefighters, who either watched inside Notre-Dame Basilica or at nearby viewing sites, Lacroix was remembered for his selflessness and readiness to assist.
WATCH: Funeral for Montreal firefighter, Pierre Lacroix
Fellow firefighter Yannick Dion recalled a colleague who could smoke a cigarette and throw back pasta, snack cakes and doughnuts _ and still run 20 kilometres home to stay in shape.
Dion said Lacroix was the dean of the squad at Fire Station 64, in Lachine, Que., and was something of a father figure. “He influenced young people with his good manners,” Dion said. “He was ready to make sacrifices and get his hands dirty for others.”
Before the service began, hundreds of firefighters, police officers and paramedics from Quebec and across the county marched silently to the beat of a single drum in a procession through the streets of Old Montreal to the basilica.
Martin Guilbault, an operations chief at the Montreal fire department, said more than 1,000 local firefighters were part of the procession, and about 3,000 official participants were attending, including firefighters from other parts of Canada and the United States as well as dignitaries.
Photos from Pierre Lacroix’s funeral:
Guilbault, who was Lacroix’s captain for several years, described him as a man with two sides: someone who was known for his sense of humour around the station but who was also extremely professional when on a call.
A water rescue specialist, Lacroix, 58, had been with the fire department for more than 30 years. He was married and had two daughters.
Lacroix was one of four firefighters coming to the aid of two boaters in distress when the mishap took place.
He was the first Montreal firefighter to die in the line of duty since 2012.
Montreal fire Chief Richard Liebmann told mourners that Lacroix’s death is a brutal reminder of the dangers firefighters face on a daily basis.
“His life was essentially dedicated to helping others _ in his job, in his community, in his family _ Pierre liked helping others,” Liebmann said. “And his final act, his ultimate act, was helping those in peril.”
Sebastien Vincent, a neighbour and close friend of 16 years, recalled Lacroix’s loyalty and his generosity.
“Pierre, when the spotlight goes out, when the long night of mourning comes to an end, we can return the favour by taking care of your loved ones, as you would have done for us, under such circumstances,” Vincent said.
He paid tribute to his friend, calling it a privilege to have crossed paths with him
“You disappeared as you lived: by being present and helping,” Vincent said.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 29, 2021.
