The life of Truro police officer Catherine Campbell will be celebrated at a memorial service set for next week.
Police officers and firefighters from across the region, even the country, are expected to be in the town of Stellarton, Nova Scotia, Monday.
That’s where the funeral service will be held for the 36-year-old police officer and former volunteer firefighter, whose death has resulted in murder charges.
“It is a very tragic thing,” says Rev. Charles McPherson. “Certainly the community will once again band together to support this family and to help them through.”
The church where the service will be held holds 450 people, and Rev. McPherson says a closed circuit feed will connect to the town fire hall, next door.
Campbell was a police officer with the Truro Police Force for six years and a volunteer firefighter in Stellarton for 10 years.
On Friday, fire department responded to their first call since the news, and they said it helped, briefly, to take their minds off the tragedy.
“Yeah it’s hard to, everybody’s around worrying about what’s going to happen, the next couple of days,” says firefighter Charles MacLaren.
Rev. McPherson says among those planning to attend the service Monday, are all the members of Campbell’s police academy graduating class.
Her parents said she had been living in Stellarton until she moved to Dartmouth three and a half months ago, and was commuting to Truro for work.
In Truro, Campbell’s picture happens to be one of many featured on a banner, welcoming officials to the annual meeting of Nova Scotia police chiefs and police boards.
Truro Police Chief Dave MacNeil proudly wore a special pin.
“The Town of Truro staff decided that the blue ribbon would be fitting,” he says. “We affixed Truro Police pins to that, and close to 200 staff with the Town of Truro are wearing those in honour of Catherine.”
Campbell was reported missing when she failed to show up for work on Monday.
Christopher Calvin Garnier of Halifax has been charged with second-degree murder and indecently interfering with a dead human body in connection with Campbell’s death.
Police allege she met 27-year-old Garnier at a bar in downtown Halifax, adding she died at a McCully Street address early Friday morning.
Officers found her body in a wooded area near an overpass that leads to the Macdonald Bridge connecting Halifax and Dartmouth shortly after midnight Wednesday, about an hour before Garnier was arrested during a traffic stop in Clayton Park.
Investigators are asking for anyone who might have seen a man in shorts and a T-shirt pushing a green bin around 4:30 a.m. on Friday along Agricola Street and North Street to the underpass where Campbell's body was found to come forward.
Garnier made a brief court appearance Thursday morning. He was remanded into custody until his next court appearance on Sept. 30.
The number of flowers and cards outside the police station in Truro is growing, and people are visiting in large numbers to a sign book of condolence inside.
A community group in Truro is organizing a special rally and march for Campbell Saturday evening.
“She was a vibrant part of the community,” says organizer Walter Nelson. “A lot of people knew her and cared about her.”
A memorial trust fund has also been set up in Campbell’s name at the Royal Bank in Stellarton.
A memorial service will be held 2 p.m. Monday at the First Presbyterian Church in Campbell’s hometown of Stellarton.
Visitation will take place Sunday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. and from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the H.W. Angus Funeral Home in New Glasgow.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Dan MacIntosh.