RCMP officers build fire pit for Pictou Landing First Nations community
By Mara Shaw
June 10, 2024
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In the same area where a residential school once cast a dark shadow on Pictou Landing, Nova Scotia, local RCMP officers have built a fire pit to celebrate their renewed relationship with the community.
"We wanted to give something to the community that would last, and reflect the friendship that we have with Pictou Landing First Nations residents," says Corporal Natasha Farrell, an RCMP officer with the Pictou County District. Farrell, along with Constable Kevin Murphy, helped organize the fundraiser that spurred the build.
The RCMP has a strong history of involvement in Pictou Landing. "Before the pandemic we were able to go down and play basketball and attend a lot of community events," says Farrell. "Once COVID-19 hit, that just didn't happen anymore, and we were wondering how we could become involved again."
An idea is born
Having organized fundraisers for the First Nations community in the past, Farrell and Murphy decided to raise money for Pictou Landing once again. The detachment had previously donated fundraising proceeds to various community initiatives and charities, but this time they wanted to do something more personal.
"We wanted the funds to go toward creating a space the community could use regularly," says Farrell. She envisioned a place where the police could drop in to participate in events alongside residents.
In 2021, they moved forward with what turned out to be a very successful fundraiser. The detachment launched a contest for the public to submit designs for a special RCMP keepsake coin that would be sold to officers across the country. They raised $3,000 through coin sales.
After only a few discussions with the former band Chief Andrea Paul, the idea for the fire pit was born.
Farrell says active and retired RCMP officers came together with community members to build the brick fire pit. "A landscaping company came in to level the ground for us, and a masonry group sourced the materials and came to help us install it," says Farrell. "We had a lot of local business support." In all, it took close to six months from the ground breaking to the unveiling and dedication ceremony in June 2023.
Fireside chats
Since its installation, the spot has been used regularly for various events. "On New Year's Eve we had a sobriety gathering for the community," says Pictou Landing First Nation's current band Chief Tamara Young. "We roasted hot dogs and enjoyed a firework show. It's also become a hotspot for the community's youth recreation crew, where they host regular marshmallow roasts."
Given its central location in the heart of the community, it's also become a pitstop for people to take a pause in their day and enjoy a moment of reflection. "Elders like to sit around the fire pit," says band Councillor April Nicholas. "It's been used by the school as well. I've had storytelling a few times and held community events with barbecues and a band."
Nestled between a health centre and the Pictou Landing First Nation Band office, the fire pit is now cemented into the community near a memorial site for the students who attended the former residential school. For the RCMP in Pictou County District, the fire pit represents a beacon of hope for brighter stories ahead.