The eastbound and westbound bridges over the Vermillion River on Highway 17 near Naughton have been officially named after an OPP officer killed in the line of duty on Nov. 7, 1980.
Const. Tom Hicks would have appreciated having the bridge named after him because it is in the part of the world he loved the most, according to his former colleague, Michael Sullivan.
“It is near the place where he used to go on canoeing and camping trips with his family,” he said.
A ceremony to officially name the bridge after Hicks was held July 15 at the OPP detachment off of Highway 69. It was attended by Hicks' friends and family, police officers and several dignitaries, including OPP Commissioner Julian Fantino.
Hicks, who grew up in Burk's Falls, joined the OPP in 1965. On the night he died, the 36-year-old officer had been dispatched to the Naughton Indian Reserve (now the Whitefish Lake First Nation) to respond to an attempted suicide.
A drunk driver turned left in front of the cruiser near Copper Cliff, and struck the vehicle, killing Hicks. The drunk driver and his passenger were injured.
Nickel Belt MPP France Gelinas said the bridge will not only serve to honour Hicks' memory, but to remind people of the dangers of drinking and driving.
“As the same time that (Hicks') story becomes better known, because we now have a bridge dedicated to his name, it will be a constant reminder of the tragedies that happen when people drink and drive,” she said.
“In my riding of Nickel Belt, a few weekends ago, three teenagers were killed by an (alleged) drunk driver. It was a very, very painful time for a lot of people, and the grieving is still going on.”
Sullivan, who pushed to have the bridge named after Hicks, said “everyone liked” the officer, and that he had a “steadfastness” about him.
He related one incident where he and Hicks had been called to Carol Campsites after a young man had ran across the highway. The young man had been hit by a car, but had escaped injury.
“When Tom started to question him, he said he had been drinking, become disoriented, and mistakenly stepped onto the highway,” said Sullivan.
“As Tom continued to question him, however, his line of questioning struck me as odd. I wasn't sure where he was going with this until I finally realized that Tom knew that this fella had meant to hurt himself.
“The young man felt safe enough to admit that he'd had a fight with his girlfriend, and he was looking to self-destruct. Behind that unassuming exterior, Tom was nobody's fool.”
Hicks' son, Jay Hicks, said the family is “very honoured” by the bridge dedication.
“We are very proud that it's been almost 30 years, and he is still remembered,” he said.
Like Sullivan, he remembers his father as someone who loved outdoor activities like canoeing and cross-country skiing.
Fantino said that like all police officers, Hicks knew the risks of his job, but that doesn't diminish the pain that his family still feels 29 years after his death.
“Let me, in retrospect, albeit a long time after his passing, profoundly thank Const. Hicks and his family for the sacrifice that we today are honouring.”
