Procession to be held for service members killed in chopper crash
Two homecoming motorcade processions will be held in Halifax this evening for Capt. Brenden MacDonald, Capt. Maxime Miron-Morin, Sub.-Lt. Matthew Pyke and Master Cpl. Matthew Cousins.
The four were among the six Canadian Armed Forced members who died after a military helicopter crashed in the Mediterranean Sea in April. The military said Saturday that remains from all on board had now been identified.
The homecoming for Sub.-Lt. Abbigail Cowbrough was held in Nova Scotia in May and a homecoming for Capt. Kevin Hagen will be held in Victoria on Saturday.
The departure time for today's processions is now scheduled for 6:45 p.m. local time. Both will start at the Park'n'Fly parking lot at Halifax Stanfield International Airport. The routes are subject to change or be delayed because of traffic. The procession was originally scheduled to begin at 5:45 p.m. but was delayed one hour.
The procession for Pyke, who was from Truro, N.S., will end at Mattatall-Varner Funeral Home at 55 Young St. in Truro. His family will be joined by military and civilian dignitaries in a police-escorted motorcade.
Pyke's route is the following:
Start at the Park 'n' Fly parking lot on Barnes Drive, exit right.
Turn right on Baldwin Drive to Pratt and Whitney Drive.
Turn right on Pratt and Whitney Drive to Bell Boulevard.
Turn left on Bell Boulevard and take the exit for Highway 102 north.
Take Exit 13 to McClures Mills Road/Truro Heights Connector Road.
Turn left onto Willow Street/Nova Scotia Trunk 2 north.
Turn right onto Arthur Street.
Turn left onto Young Street.
Turn right into the Mattatall-Varner Funeral Home, 55 Young St., Truro.
The planned motorcade route for MacDonald, Miron-Morin and Cousins:
Start at the Park 'n' Fly parking lot on Barnes Drive, exit right.
Turn right on Baldwin Drive to Pratt to Whitney Drive.
Turn left on Pratt and Whitney Drive to Aerotech Drive.
Turn right on Aerotech Drive to Highway 102.
Take Highway 102 south (Halifax) exit.
Follow Highway 102, keep left at the fork to continue on Highway 118.
Take Exit 11 to merge onto Highway 111 south to Pleasant Street.
Turn left on Pleasant Street to Corsair Drive.
Turn left on Corsair Drive to Banshee Avenue.
Turn right on Banshee Avenue to Swordfish Drive.
Turn right on Swordfish Drive to Boundary Road.
Turn left on Boundary Road to Magnificent Avenue.
Turn right on Magnificent Avenue.
Turn right on Bonaventure Street to Main Road.
Turn left on Main Road, through Eastern Passage to Caldwell Road.
Turn left on Caldwell Road to Cole Harbour Road. (Portland Street turns into Cole Harbour Road).
Turn right onto Cole Harbour Road to Forest Hills Parkway.
Turn left on Forest Hills Parkway to Main Street.
Turn right on Main Street, drive 100 metres past the Montague Road intersection.
Turn left into the Atlantic Funeral Home, 771 Main St., Dartmouth.
In a news release, National Defence said anyone who comes out to watch the procession needs to adhere to COVID-19 physical distancing measures.
It also said the motorcycle part of the procession will be by invitation only for safety reasons. Riders who want to pay respects are asked to line the route and not join the procession as it passes.
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