OPP Constable Rick Hopkins, slain in the line of duty in 1982, now has a bridge bearing his name, following a dedication ceremony on Oct. 12.
The dedication was held at the Sports complex in Mount Forest with about 150 OPP dignitaries, OPP officers (both retired and on active duty), politicians, and friends joining family members to remember the officer who gave the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty on May 9, 1982.
An official dedication at the bridge at the south end of town was also held with the unveiling of Constable Rick Hopkins Memorial Bridge signs posted at both sides of the bridge.
His son David Hopkins read the tribute for his father, known affectionately as “Hoppy.” David was joined by his brother Steven, mother Ada Mason and grandchildren Emily and Tyler Richard, who wore his grandfather’s police hat at the ceremony.
Constable Hopkins is also survived by sisters Helen Currie and Lamont Waddell and brother Ron Hopkins.
David recalled his father’s support of the community, including as a hockey coach and supporter of friends and family in Mount Forest. He said the bridge dedication was fitting for his father, who often crossed the bridge while on duty in the community and surrounding area.
He also thanked those attending the ceremony, many of who attended the officer’s funeral back in 1982.
“Thirty years later we gather here again to celebrate Rick,” his son said.
Constable Hopkins was born in Toronto on May 27, 1950 and joined the OPP on Nov. 4, 1971, just four months after his 21st birthday.
“On May 9, 1982, Constable Hopkins and another officer, (Constable Brad Henderson) were on routine patrol in the Mount Forest detachment area when they responded to a report of someone shooting at a car from the side of the road in the Highway 6 and Highway 9 area,” an OPP release for the dedication stated.
“They didn’t locate either the car that had been shot at or the suspected shooter. Three hours later, officers responded to a call from the Arthur fire chief of an armed man behind a store on fire. The officers located a man carrying a gun in each hand close by,” the release said.
“The suspect turned and fired a shotgun directly at Constable Hopkins, hitting him in the upper chest and neck where his Kevlar vest didn’t protect him. Despite the assistance of two nurses who happened to be in the area, Constable Hopkins died within minutes.”
OPP Commissioner Chris Lewis was among the speakers at the dedication.
“The family, the community members, the old colleagues are here to honour Rick for giving his life while on duty,” the commissioner said. “I didn’t know Rick personally. He’s a guy I wish I had known. The loss of Constable Rick Hopkins was a terrible tragedy. He knew the hazards, but he responded.”
Lewis, who works out of the Orillia main office, said a dedication wall in the facility is a constant reminder of officers who have given their lives in the line of duty.
“We have the wall…and we walk past it every day,” he said. “There’s 105 names on that wall. This bridge dedication serves as a memorial to the sacrifice that this OPP officer made and also serves as a reminder of the risks that all police officers face on a daily basis as they serve communities across the province.”
OPP chief superintendent John Cain 38 bridges now bear the names of fallen officers.
“Hopefully this bridge dedication goes toward closing a loop in your lives,” he told family members.
OPP Association president Jim Christie said the bridge dedication will serve as a reminder of the “life of Constable Rick Hopkins,” and “serves as a reminder of the inherent risk of our OPP officers.”
The family was presented a memorial plaque in honour of the officer.
