As he drove into Orillia today, returning to the place near and dear to his heart, where he grew up, it was a bittersweet homecoming for Jeff Bennett and his family.
But when he saw the new sign memorializing his father, Const. George H. Bennett, at the edge of that familiar West Street bridge over Highway 11, it was, he admits, a “bit of a shock.” It was also emotional.
“It’s incredibly meaningful that was the bridge chosen,” Bennett told a roomful of people gathered at the Hawk Ridge Golf and Country Club Thursday to celebrate the dedication of the bridge named in honour of his dad, an OPP officer who died in the line of duty in 1980.
“We lived just across that bridge,” said Bennett, fighting tears. “I used to work at this golf course; I’ve played it hundreds of times. I remember walking across the bridge with my mom to get groceries … It felt like we were traversing the Sahara. I am so grateful for this.”
Bennett and his two children and his mom, Donna, were joined by dozens of relatives and many of the deceased officer’s former colleagues and friends in addition to local politicians and high-ranking officials from the OPP to unveil a replica of the sign that will forever stand in testament to Bennett’s sacrifice.
OPP Commissioner Vince Hawkes paid tribute to Bennett, calling him “a real police hero.”
“He was a devoted family man and dedicated officer who took great pride in his policing career,” said Hawkes. “He was a loving husband to Donna and father to Jeff … it’s great to see them and their extended family here today.”
Feb. 12, 1980 was a typical day for Const. George Bennett. That day, he and his partner, Const. Jim Hewitt, were assigned snowmobile patrol and transported their sleds north before beginning routine property patrols in Matchedash Township.
“While on patrol, he crested a hill, rounded a corner and struck a rock,” Hawkes recounted. “He was thrown from the machine and rushed to the hospital but, tragically, he died. He was just 34.”
Jeff still remembers that day. His mom broke the news to her only child in her bedroom. To a young lad a month shy of his sixth birthday, the words didn’t really mean much at the time.
Bennett said he didn’t have many memories of his father aside from him putting a turtleneck over his face and pretending to be a headless monster. Or enticing him into the bathroom while he was on the toilet, promising smells of flowers and roses.
“I also remember my dad dragging me out to get hockey equipment when I was like three,” Bennett recalled, saying he played both hockey and lacrosse but noting the family could only afford lacrosse equipment. “For the first five years I played hockey, I used lacrosse gear. Some of the kids I played with are here today.”
Bennett said he remains grateful for his life in Orillia. “It never felt tragic to me,” he said of his dad’s death. “I felt loved. I had a mom, aunts and uncles; I had community. They say it takes a village to raise a child and they’d be right.”
He talked about the lifelong friends he made as a kid and the feeling of having “strong arms around me” in the form of a caring community.
“I never felt like an only child because I had such amazing friends around me and they’re here as they always are,” he said, while also thanking the OPP, the OPP Association and the OPP Pipes and Drums, which piped in dignitaries and played a lament to conclude the ceremony. George Bennett was a faithful member of the OPP Pipes and Drums.
Jeff Bennett encouraged those who pass the sign memorializing his father or signs recognizing other fallen officers, not to think those mark “horrible tragedies.” He asked people, instead, to “think back to this moment and this community and this group of people and how amazing it is that we support one another in this way.”
Bennett also said the ceremony is a reminder about the sacrifice police officers make or are willing to make to keep the peace. “We all have the potential to be that kind of hero,” an emotional Bennett said. “We can all walk away from here and say something nice to someone, do a good deed … I’d like to see us all leave this room feeling good and do something wonderful.”
Hawkes, who said he had never seen such a large crowd at a bridge dedication ceremony, said it’s important to remember those who have given their lives in service.
“George Bennett lost his life 38 years ago (but) he still holds a place of honour in our hearts today,” the commissioner said. “It is gratifying people of this area are remembering one of their heroes.”
The bridge dedicated as the George Bennett Bridge is the 59th bridge in Ontario dedicated to fallen officers. The province has permitted bridges and other highway structures to be dedicated in this manner since 2002.
