The Waterloo Regional Police Service will celebrate the lives of Constable David Nicholson and Mark Gage during a memorial service at Mill Race Park in Cambridge on August 12, 2018.
The ceremony, which will begin at 9:30 a.m., is being held to mark the 20th anniversary of the tragic loss of both Constable Nicholson and Mark Gage.
Constable Nicholson, who joined the Waterloo Regional Police Service in 1989, died in the line of duty while attempting to rescue Mark Gage from the Parkhill Dam on August 12, 1998.
Local dignitaries, retired and current members of the WRPS, including retired Chief Larry Gravill, will join Chief Bryan Larkin and members of the Gage and Nicholson family to celebrate and reflect on the lives of Constable Nicholson and Mark Gage.
“Constable Nicholson paid the ultimate sacrifice when he was called to serve that day,” said Bryan Larkin, Chief of Police. “He was a proud member of our service and displayed a commitment to the community that was both selfless and heroic. While we continue to mourn the loss of Constable Nicholson and Mark Gage, we must also continue to celebrate their lives and honour their memories.”
As well, in honour of Constable Nicholson’s badge number 589, all members of the Waterloo Regional Police Service will wear a silver commemorative pin during the month of August. The pin replicates a badge and contains the number 589.
“It’s a chance to recognize and represent what Constable Nicholson believed in every day as he carried that badge – honour, dignity, integrity and commitment to keeping members of Waterloo Region safe. By wearing this pin, we will be honouring an officer who truly was our hero in life, not death.”
Constable Nicholson was the first officer in the Service’s history to die in the line of duty.
