Roger Leavoy was many things to many people.
Friends and colleagues said he was a poet, a loving father and always a dedicated member of the Ontario Provincial Police.
“He was a man I learned an awful lot from,” said Carson Fougere, a retired OPP chief superintendent.
“A man of integrity, he was a man who taught me don't vary from ethics and if something difficult has to be said, don't shy away, say it."
Corporal Leavoy lost his life in 1986, while stationed in Little Current. He died from a heart attack following a prolonged struggle with a suspect.
31 years later, he was remembered in a room packed with friends, family and his fellow officers.
“My father was my best friend and mentor,” said Kim Cuthbertson, Leavoy’s daughter.
“He was my whole world. He was a great man and a great father who taught us a lot of things. A family man.”
Gone more than three decades now, corporal Leavoy’s words still have a lasting effect
And he is remembered now, in more than words.
A few kilometres north of his hometown of Matheson, the bridge over the Watabeag River now bears his name.
“The way for the average public members to see, when they are driving down the highway that there is a sign dedicating a bridge and they can relate to the fact that that officers name is going to be etched into our history forever,” said Vince Hawkes, OPP commissioner.
It’s a tribute to the ultimate sacrifice. Leavoy joins 68 other officers honoured in this way.
He wasn't alone; former regional superintendent Jack Irwin was also honoured by the OPP, naming the detachment's board room after the longstanding officer and mentor.
