Bronze leaf removed from honour garden in Moncton’s Riverside Park
The City of Moncton’s Honour Garden in Riverside Park has been the site of a theft that has left relatives and community members upset. Codiac RCMP say one of the dozen bronze maple leaves that surround a memorial to three officers killed in a 2014 shooting was stolen sometime between Aug. 7 and Aug. 12.
The memorial, located along Assomption Boulevard, features three statues of the fallen officers — Const. Douglas Larche, Const. Dave Ross and Const. Fabrice Gevaudan — and a ring of bronze leaves at the base. Each leaf is personalised and, according to family members, many bear the thumbprints of community members, students and first responders.
Nadine Larche, the wife of Const. Douglas Larche, discovered the missing leaf when she visited the site on Wednesday morning. She told media she felt “angry, disgusted, [and] discouraged” at what she called an act of disrespect toward a place meant to honour the dead and those who serve.
“Over 1,500 people put their thumbprint on there … so there's a lot of deeply personal stories within each of those thumbprints that now one of them has been stolen,”
The loss has prompted questions about the security of public memorials and the preservation of sites that carry deep meaning for families and the wider community. The stolen leaf is one of 12 bronze leaves that sit around the base of the monument. It is not clear from RCMP release whether there is any surveillance footage or forensic evidence available from the area.
- Location: Honour Garden, Riverside Park, Assomption Boulevard, Moncton
- Timeframe: Theft believed to have occurred between Aug. 7 and Aug. 12
- Memorial components: Three statues and 12 personalized bronze maple leaves
- Community involvement: More than 1,500 people provided thumbprints for the leaves
The memorial commemorates the three RCMP constables who were killed in a 2014 shooting. Families and community members have used the Honour Garden as a place of remembrance and reflection since its installation. The personalised leaves serve as tangible connections between the public and the memory of those lost.
| Officer | Commemoration |
|---|---|
| Const. Douglas Larche | Statue on site |
| Const. Dave Ross | Statue on site |
| Const. Fabrice Gevaudan | Statue on site |
Codiac RCMP have issued a news release regarding the theft and are handling the investigation. No arrests have been reported. Family members and visitors hoping to see the memorial intact have expressed disappointment and called for care and respect for such sites.
Moncton residents say the incident underscores the importance of protecting civic monuments that form part of the city’s collective memory. Local leaders and park users will now face the question of whether additional measures — such as increased patrols, lighting or surveillance — are needed to deter future incidents at public memorials.
For those who contributed their fingerprints and personal remembrances to the bronze leaves, the missing piece represents not only a physical loss but also an emotional one. The community continues to support the families of the fallen officers as the investigation proceeds.
