Shippagan, New Brunswick
Details
Fernand Hébert
Fernand Hébert
Member of The Royal Canadian Legion Ortona Branch #07-42 for the past 35 years and president for the past 15 years, Fernand has spent 35 years helping Veterans. He has also been a member of the City of Shippagan’s multigenerational park redevelopment committee for the past year.
As a result of his father’s and uncles’ war experiences, Fernand vowed to help and honour the sacrifice of those who fought for Canada in his hometown of Shippagan. Fernand got involved with The Royal Canadian Legion to relieve older Veterans. He also did it in recognition of his father and uncles.
Described as a pillar of the Shippagan Ortona Branch #42 for the past decade, Fernand takes on nearly all of the branch’s activities. He organizes meetings, the Poppy Campaign and the Remembrance Day ceremony. He organizes the Remembrance Day ceremony by contacting the church to arrange a Remembrance Day service, inviting some dignitaries to lay wreaths at the cenotaph and arranging a lunch for Legion members and the dignitaries. Fernand also helps Legion members by driving people to the Remembrance Day ceremony and to meetings. He ensures that Veterans and Ladies’ Auxiliary members are comfortable at ceremonies and meetings.
During the Poppy Campaign, Fernand handles poppy distribution and replenishment in businesses. Every Sunday during the campaign, he goes to the church to sell poppies with volunteers and Legion members. He coordinates the entire campaign.
When a Veteran or Legion member dies, Fernand organizes the Legion’s ceremonial part of the funeral for the departed.
Fernand is currently a member of the City of Shippagan’s multigenerational park redevelopment committee. The committee is actively working to refurbish the City of Shippagan’s Parc du Centenaire, which is home to the municipal cenotaph. Assisted by the committee, Fernand is taking steps to reposition the monument and install related infrastructure to beautify it. For many years, Fernand has been committed to ensuring there is a cenotaph worthy of the community’s Veterans.
Although the number of Veterans and Legion members declines each year, Fernand is determined that the people who fought and died for Canada will never be forgotten in his community. His dedication is apparent when you hear him talk about the branch’s survival and its future generations. As the person who nominated him said, “Without Fernand Hébert, who knows what Remembrance would look like in beautiful Shippagan in 2023?”