Events

Camp Cassidy honours veterans with hiking trail bridge Dedication Ceremonies

  

Three hiking trail bridges at Camp Cassidy were named in honour of military veterans at very emotional Dedication Ceremonies held at the Camp in June, 2023 and May 2024.

On June 9, 2023 the MacNaughton Bridge was dedicated to Major Archie MacNaughton from Black River Ridge, N.B., a veteran of both the First and Second World Wars. He was fatally wounded on D-Day while leading his men in battle. A very poignant Heritage Minute of his life and sacrifice can be found here: https://youtu.be/-AuKXAftIts.  Several of Major MacNaughton’s descendants attended the touching ceremony.

On June 10, 2023 a Dedication Ceremony was held to name the Seeley Bridge in honour of Sgt. Michael Seeley.  Born in Fredericton, NB and a member of the Eel Bar First Nation (Mi’kmaq), Sgt. Seeley served in the Canadian Armed Forces, the US Army and the US Marines until he was fatally wounded while serving in Iraq in 2006 at the age of 27. Sgt. Seeley’s mother, aunt and other family members were in attendance.

On May 30, 2024, a Dedication Ceremony was held to name the Macneill Bridge in honour of Cdr Isabel Macneill. Born in Halifax, N.S., Cdr Macneill made history in World War 2 as the first woman to command a Commonwealth naval establishment, and she later became Canada’s first female prison warden.  Cdr Thomas Watts of the Royal Canadian Navy Reserves was in attendance at the Ceremony to deliver inspirational remarks and to unveil the plaque posted on the bridge to honour Cdr MacNeil.

The MacNaughton, Seeley and Macneill Bridges are important parts of Camp Cassidy’s Three Bridges Hiking Trail, which crosses several beautiful streams within the property.  The professionally designed trail and the Camp’s other amenities are reserved for the exclusive use of active or former military and first responder personnel and their immediate families.  Members of these groups are welcome to enjoy the Camp anytime during daylight hours between the Victoria Day and Thanksgiving weekends, at no cost to them.