Moncton police are investigating after a bronze maple leaf was stolen from a memorial in Riverside Park that honours three RCMP constables killed in a 2014 shooting.
Community keeps vigil at damaged memorial
Codiac RCMP said the theft likely occurred between Aug. 7 and Aug. 12. The missing leaf was discovered by the wife of one of the slain officers while she visited the site in the Honour Garden along Assomption Boulevard.
The memorial features three statues representing Const. Douglas Larche, Const. Dave Ross and Const. Fabrice Gevaudan, with a circle of a dozen bronze maple leaves surrounding their bases. Each leaf bears personalised touches: the prints of community members, students and first responders who contributed to the remembrance.
"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," said Nadine Larche, who discovered the theft.
Larche told reporters she felt "angered, disgusted, discouraged" upon seeing the missing piece. Family members and community supporters say the removal of the leaf is more than an act of property theft — it is an intrusion on collective memory and on personal connections to the officers.
What was taken and who is affected
- Item stolen: one bronze maple leaf from the Honour Garden memorial
- Location: Riverside Park, Assomption Boulevard, Moncton
- Timeframe: believed between Aug. 7 and Aug. 12
- Significance: the leaves contain impressions from more than 1,500 people, including family, students and first responders
Police have not released details about possible suspects or motives. The investigation remains active and Codiac RCMP are asking anyone with information to come forward.
| Officer | Age | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Const. Douglas James Larche | 40 | Saint John, N.B. |
| Const. Dave Joseph Ross | 32 | Victoriaville, Que. |
| Const. Fabrice Georges Gevaudan | 45 | Boulogne-Billancourt, France |
Local reaction and implications
For many Moncton residents the Honour Garden is a site of solemn reflection and community solidarity. The bronze leaves were created to record participation by schools, neighbours and first responders — an unusual, tactile way to bind the city to the memory of the three officers.
Removal of one of those pieces has prompted calls for heightened protection of public memorials. Municipal officials, community leaders and police have options to consider, from increased patrols and lighting to surveillance and physical barriers, but these measures can change the character of open, accessible remembrance sites.
Families say they want the leaf returned and the memorial restored in a way that honours the original intent: a welcoming, accessible place where people can pay their respects without feeling watched or restricted. For now, repair and replacement are likely to involve consultations with the families and those who contributed to the leaf project.
Anyone with information about the theft is asked to contact Codiac RCMP. Community members who feel affected by the incident have also organised informal vigils at the memorial since the discovery.
The three officers remembered at the Honour Garden were killed in the June 2014 shooting that shook Moncton; the memorial remains an important local landmark and symbol of the city's resilience.
