Last month, the city lost a police officer in a senseless
murder.
Ottawa residents showed they care about our men and women in
blue, and about Eric Czapnik’s family, by lining the roadsides as his funeral
procession travelled more than two kilometres along city streets.
But what now?
Ottawa police Chief Vern White visited Ottawa Region Media
Group’s offices for an hour-long interview recently, and he was asked if
Czapnik might be remembered by naming a significant site after him. White said
a memorial of some kind will come about after discussions with the city, police
officers and Czapnik’s family.
We’d like to suggest a very permanent way to remember our
fallen officer: name the future Strandherd-Armstrong bridge over the Rideau
River in Czapnik’s honour.
The bridge will be constructed in the next few years, and we
see it as a wonderful way to make sure we all remember the family man who lived
his dream of becoming a police officer.
Strandherd-Armstrong has been the name of the future
crossing used during the planning stages, but there’s no reason why that can’t
be changed. The name has not yet been printed on any map.
An Eric Czapnik Bridge would be a connection between two
growing communities in the city’s south end, growing in importance as the population
in south Ottawa continues to expand.
Each day, thousands of people would remember the late Eric
Czapnik as they crossed the bridge and thousands more would be reminded as the
bridge is mentioned in traffic reports on thousands of radios.
The Eric Czapnik Bridge would stand for a man, stand for his
commitment, and stand for a hundred years.
Let’s build the Eric Czapnik Bridge, and we can all look
forward to the day his wife and children cut a ribbon, unveil a sign and
forever remember the man who served us all.