Executive Council
May 25, 2015

The following statement was given today in the House of Assembly by the Honourable Paul Davis, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador:

Commemorating Thomas E. Ricketts as a Person of Provincial Significance

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today in this Honourable House to acknowledge the designation of Thomas E. Ricketts as a Person of Provincial Significance.

Mr. Speaker, I had the honour yesterday to participate in the designation ceremony in Conception Bay South. It was a humbling experience to stand before men and women who wear the uniform of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment, as well as all other officers that serve in our Canadian forces. I commend each of them for their ability to stand up for those whose daily lives are embroiled in conflict.

We are all familiar with the story of Thomas E. Ricketts, or Tommy Ricketts as we have come to know him. Tommy Ricketts was a teenager from Middle Arm, White Bay, who joined the Newfoundland Regiment during the First World War as a 15-year-old boy. He went on to receive the Victoria Cross – the highest award for valour the British Empire could grant a soldier for his actions during an offensive in Belgium. Tommy Ricketts was the youngest soldier serving with the British Army during The Great War to receive the Victoria Cross and 100 years later we still honour his legacy.

Mr. Speaker, as we commemorate Tommy Ricketts, it is also important to take a moment to remember that during The Great War, more than 6,000 men joined the Newfoundland Regiment and more than 12,000 people served on the land, in the air, on the sea, and in nursing services. It was for reasons such as these that the Provincial Historic Commemorations Program was developed, to recognize aspects of our collective culture and to pay tribute to the people, places, events and traditions that make Newfoundland and Labrador unique.

To further honour Tommy Ricketts’ memory and to commemorate his legacy of valour, the Department of Municipal and Intergovernmental Affairs has provided $25,000 towards the community park in Conception Bay South, a park that will stand as a legacy of Tommy Ricketts’ service for years to come.

Mr. Speaker, the sacrifice of Tommy Ricketts and the brave individuals that served is an important part of our collective identity, of who we are today as Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. Their sense of duty shall never be forgotten and we are honoured to commemorate them in this way.

Thank you.

2015 05 25                              1:50 p.m.