Hundreds gather in support of injured Melville Mounties at weekend fundraiser

Hundreds gathered at a fundraiser in Melville, Sask. on Saturday to show their support for two injured Mounties who were shot last month. (Fruzsina De Cloedt / CTV News)

Under the scorching prairie sun, over 1,000 people gathered in Melville, Sask. on Saturday to support two RCMP officers who were seriously injured in a shooting last month.

A long line stretched from the CN Community Centre into the parking lot as residents and visitors waited for hamburgers at a community barbecue fundraiser. Smoke from the grills drifted across the entrance while volunteers worked quickly to keep the line moving.

Melville Fire Chief Aron Buckingham said the turnout exceeded expectations.

“We’re sneaking up on at least 2,000 burgers through here today. We have more, but we have prepared for over 2,000, so we’re getting close,” he explained.

• ‘Bang, bang, bang’: Melville residents recount shooting that wounded two Mounties

The fundraiser was organized following a June shooting that left two Mounties with serious injuries. The incident stemmed from a dispute between neighbours and shocked the community.

“We don’t have a high crime rate,” said Melville Mayor Joe Kirwan. “This event, as tragic as it was, is an anomaly for our community. It’s not the normal, and so I think it really shocked people.”

To help the injured officers and their families, organizers held a barbecue and silent auction at the CN Community Centre.

Among those attending was Regina resident David Gagnon, who stopped in Melville while travelling to Yorkton.

“We just want to make sure that we’re here to support the people who keep us safe in our community,” he said.

• Saskatchewan RCMP say two officers stable after shooting in Melville, suspect charged

Visitors arrived from communities across Saskatchewan, including Langenburg and Ituna, while some travelled from much farther away, including Cambridge, Ont.

That wasn’t the only long-distance support, however. Mayor Kirwan said the mayor of Vancouver reached out to him after the shooting and assured the Saskatchewan community of his support.

Buckingham said visitors at the event came from first responders and law enforcement agencies throughout the province and beyond.

“They’re coming from everywhere. We’ve had fire departments from all over the place, different RCMP detachments, highway patrol, conservation, you name it ... from everywhere,” the fire chief said.

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Local firefighters and other first responders were among the volunteers serving food despite temperatures reaching about 30 C. Inside the community centre, visitors could browse and bid on more than 200 donated auction items. Items came from as far as Nova Scotia.

“When you go inside and look at the displays, the amount of people, [who] have donated from literally across the country, it is so heartwarming to see,” said Warren Kaeding, MLA for Melville-Saltcoats and Saskatchewan’s minister of trade and export development.

Despite the tragic circumstances that prompted the fundraiser, the atmosphere was one of gratitude and solidarity. Organizers said all proceeds from the event will go directly to the two injured officers and their families.

The fundraiser ran from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the CN Community Centre in Melville.