My hometown- Moncton

2014 June 11
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by Tanya McGinnity

I was born in Moncton. A quiet little spot near that kicky little hooked bit on the East Coast of Canada. Not much goes on here.

The City Hall features a collection of metal deer, one of which burnt my arse during the taking of this photo when I leaned on its baking hot frame. This was likely the most that went on in Moncton this day. Woman burns arse standing too close to hot metal deer.

I moved away many years ago for the ‘big city life’ but I get so very nostalgic for ‘back home’. I have a folder of cottages I want to stay at, snapshots of greasy crustaceans I want my husband to push down his gullet and a head full of spots that I want to visit which remind me of the good times I had as a kid. The beaches. The parks. The drive in. A simple swing set from a playground at my old elementary school. I toy with the idea of surfing in this but fear dysentry, hot deer fever, malaria and contact dermatitis.

When I meet fellow ‘Maritimers’, I

A). Squee in a high pitched voice much like what this metal deers babyfolk would do after emerging out of the womb

B). High five the person. They’re not a stranger.

C). Hug the person. They’re not a stranger.

D). Ask them who they know/ who they are related to and realize that 6 degrees of separation is actually 3 in a Maritimer’s life

On June 4, 2014, things changed for Moncton. A gunman shot five Mounties, wounding two and killing three (Constable Dave Ross, 32, from Victoriaville, Quebec, Constable Fabrice Georges Gevaudan, 45, from Boulogne-Billancourt, France and Constable Douglas James Larche, 40, from Saint John, New Brunswick). A manhunt was on to find the gunman and friends and family were trapped in their homes while the RCMP tried to locate him. Fear gripped the city and when he did emerge from the woods and surrendered after almost two days, that fear turned to absolute and complete sadness.

The community’s heart was broken and stories of compassion started to emerge. Lineups of citizens stood in the streets hugging and kissing RCMP officers. Many bought them Tim Horton’s coffee (aka liquid gold in Moncton) or dinners and a makeshift shrine was set up at RCMP headquarters. I was struck by the number of parents who brought their children to drop off flowers, artwork and other mementos to the shrine as it was so mature to bring children into this process. The community near the area where the tragedy happened and which was on lockdown organized a bike ride for the kids so they could show their support for the RCMP. People were grieving openly and doing so as a community.

It’s how I imagined my hometown would be. Nobody organized protests against the gunman. Few took to the airwaves to call for his execution (if they did, it was kept on a Facebook forum of crackpots). They supported one another. They held each other up. They wept. They hugged. They offered up their homes to those service men and women who attended the public funeral and the list of volunteers that were willing to billet visitors far exceeded the need. (It’s worth saying that the number of those service personnel who came to the city for the funeral represented 10% of the population of Moncton).

Moncton. You are beautiful to me. You are compassionate. Unafraid of displaying your broken heart. You are taking care of each other.

May you heal swiftly.

One Response leave one →
  1. June 13, 2014

    Beautiful. Hugs. xox

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