A memorial monument was unveiled in Port Hawkesbury on Saturday.
The new monument honouring Forest Ranger, Austin Letcher Sr. was revealed in his hometown on the Hemlock Trail by his family.
Mayor Brenda Chisholm-Beaton shares with our newsroom how fitting it is to have his acknowledgement in nature, because the core of his passion was the conservation of people, within the community, and within the forest.
“He’s a Port Hawkesbury native and also his career was in Inverness County,” says Chisholm-Beaton.
“We thought it would be a fitting tribute to have him acknowledged for today, but also for lots of visitors and youth going forward.”
She says that we all have a duty to consider not only the beauty of nature, but also to consider how we can do our own part towards conservation and respecting the nature around us.
His grandson, Stephen Long shares with us that, “We have to remember the people that went before us, and honour their sacrifices.”
“I’m old enough to have remembered my grandfather, so I really know the type of person he was. An exceptional human being, an exceptional citizen, just a model person,” says Long.
“He was a master mason, member of the Eastern Star, abstainer, religious man, and family man. He just had all the characteristics necessary to be a decent human being.”
He was joined by the Letcher family including Austin’s great great great grandchildren at the ceremony.
“He’s been honoured in Ottawa, he’s been honoured in Halifax, he’s been honoured in the Shubenacadie Wildlife Park, and I felt it only fitting that he’d be honoured in his hometown,” acknowledged Long.
Austin Letcher Sr. tragically lost his life on October 18, 1967, 10 days after he was found in his overturned vehicle while on duty, 58 years ago.
Police ruled his death as foul play.
