Haldimand seeks to honour fallen OPP officer by renaming Cayuga bridge
Haldimand County council wants to ensure the name of Const. Grzegorz Greg" Pierzchala is never forgotten.
At a recent meeting, councillors voted to start talks with the province about naming the Cayuga bridge in honour of Pierzchala, an OPP officer who was killed in the line of duty just after Christmas.
I just thought it fitting that being a young bridge and a young officer, they kind of meld together, and (we) have an opportunity here to honour this outstanding officer, young as he was," said Coun. John Metcalfe, who tabled the motion at the May 23 council-in-committee meeting.
I just felt that it was an opportunity to permanently acknowledge his service and dedication to the county," Metcalfe said.
The motion, which passed unanimously, directs county staff to start the process as detailed in the transport ministry's Highway Memorial for Fallen Police Officers Act.
That process includes consulting with the OPP and Pierzchala's family.
The final decision on renaming the bridge rests with the province.
Pierzchala, 28, was shot dead on Dec. 27 when responding to a vehicle in a ditch just west of Hagersville.
Two suspects - Brandi Stewart-Sperry, 30, of Hamilton, and Randall McKenzie, 25, of Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation - were arrested and charged with first-degree murder.
The rookie officer had just passed his probationary period and was on his first solo shift when he was killed.
In the immediate aftermath of Pierzchala's death, OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique lamented the sudden and horrific loss of this young officer."
Greg had just embarked on his childhood dream to be a police officer, only to have his dream tragically cut short while performing his duties," Carrique said.
In April, a memorial bike ride in the Dunnville area organized by the OPP and Pierzchala's family raised over $11,000 for the OPP Youth Foundation.
J.P. Antonacci's reporting on Haldimand and Norfolk is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative. jpantonacci@thespec.com