Understanding the ‘greater’ in the city of Sudbury - Gerry M. Lougheed Jr

Sunday was a significant day for Sudbury. Several hundred Sudburians hiked for a hero. The hero is Bill Kerr, a Canadian soldier who suffered critical injuries as a result of a Taliban bomb explosion in Afghanistan.

The hike was a fundraiser to raise money to build Bill and his family an accessible house that they can call home in our community. The hike took place on the newly constructed four-lane Highway 69 initiative. The first 20 km are complete and, before it is opened for motorized traffic, it played host to the walkathon.

I had co-chaired the Crash 69 Committee that lobbied for this four laning. Although a long-time request by Sudburians to do this paving, it was the accumulated death toll of almost 50 people in three years that changed our voices from requesting to demanding the project. Sudbury MPP Rick Bartolucci — who was outraged in opposition — became an outstanding cabinet minister in obtaining the approval from the McGuinty government to four lane the highway. So we have a highway helping build a home for a hero.

But a home is just bricks and mortar and the highway is just gravel and asphalt. The heart and soul of this event was the people. The people at Pioneer Construction, who have built such a magnificent road. The people in the Irish Regiment, who have formed a committee to build the house. The people of leadership from the army — like the committee chair Derik McArthur and the Chief of the Defence staff General Natynczyk — who attended the event and said inspiring words about Bill Kerr and all those serving our country. The people, who hiked, biked, walked and ran the route generating significant funds. The people who are going to build the house (Dalron Construction) are only charging cost and securing many gifts of supplies and services from a multitude of trades people, suppliers and local businesses.

As I bicycled that morning, I recalled two conversations; the first with Ron Henderson, the brother and uncle of Kelly Ann Henderson and her two sons Jordin and Corbin Sauve, who had been killed on Highway 69 on Aug. 7, 2002.

Ron in his grief said; “something has to be done.”

I replied; “we will do something.” And a group of Sudburians stood together and said enough and we made a difference. The second conversation was at a press conference in August when Bill Kerr thanked people for their caring and sharing. He thanked people for “the handout,” but I quickly corrected the word “handout” by suggesting it was really “a hand up” to a soldier who served our country and community.

On Sunday, hundreds of Sudburians walked in solidarity for that soldier. I was proud to be a Canadian and a Sudburian. I was inspired to stand in the crowd walking the talk of the media recruiting rhetoric “being the best we could be” in building a better community. I suggest, if it takes a village to raise a child, then it takes a city with the adjective “greater” to build a home for a hero.

Gerry M. Lougheed Jr. is co-chair of Hike For A Hero.