PEIAn eastern P.E.I. community is mourning the loss of its fire chief and celebrating the legacy he leaves behind. Tony Van den Broek served with the Cardigan Fire Department for more than 40 years and had been its chief for nearly six. He was 65.Tony Van den Broek died on Dec. 1 at the age of 65Jenna Banfield · CBC News · Posted: Dec 09, 2025 6:30 PM EST | Last Updated: 9 minutes agoListen to this articleEstimated 3 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.P.E.I. community honours memory, dedication of beloved fire chiefPeople in Cardigan are mourning the loss of Tony Van den Broek, a firefighter who was a part of the department for more than four decades. Those who knew him say his passion for serving the community is something they hope to continue on. CBC’s Gwyneth Egan has that story.An eastern P.E.I. community is mourning the loss of its fire chief, who served with the department for more than 40 years, and celebrating the legacy he leaves behind. Tony Van den Broek died on Dec. 1. He was 65. He’d been chief of the Cardigan Fire Department for nearly six years.Ben Riley, Van den Broek’s nephew and Cardigan’s deputy fire chief, described his uncle as a passionate leader who set a great example for his team.Ben Riley says seeing how beloved his uncle was to the community has been a source of pride for his family. (Gwyneth Egan/CBC)”He always made sure that we had well-trained members, our equipment was the best we could afford and that we were constantly upgrading our equipment and our trucks and taking in new members,” Riley said.”He didn’t do half measures, so when Tony did something, it was the best he could do it and that’s what he expected from his fellow firefighters as well.”Those upgrades include the purchase of one of the department’s newest trucks. It was in New Jersey, so Van den Broek and others in the department hopped on a plane to pick it up and drive it back.Riley said takes pride in seeing the tributes to his uncle pour in on social media. Van den Broek was even honoured in the House of Commons, where he was recognized by Cardigan MP Kent MacDonald.”Chief Tony was a dedicated leader and committed volunteer in his community. His decades of service reflect the courage, compassion and the unwavering commitment to keeping others safe,” MacDonald said.The Town of Three Rivers lowered the flags at town hall to half-mast, and released a statement on its website.”Tony was a dedicated leader, a committed volunteer, and a trusted protector of the Cardigan community and surrounding areas,” the statement reads. “His decades of service reflect the very best of the volunteer fire service.”Alice Rice said Van den Broek had been there throughout her time at the Cardigan Fire Department, and they hope to carry on his legacy. (Gwyneth Egan/CBC)For the 15 years Alice Rice has been in the Cardigan Fire Department, Van den Broek was there. They also grew up together.”He was just very welcoming all the time and he was very passionate,” she said. “If you ever had any questions or concerns or issues, he was very approachable and he was level-headed.” She added that Van den Broek took over after the previous fire chief, Dwayne MacIntyre, died in 2020. Rice said both chiefs will always be in her mind and heart.”It’s a hole that’s left in our department, but we will absolutely carry his legacy.”ABOUT THE AUTHORJenna Banfield is an associate producer for CBC Prince Edward Island. She can be reached at jenna.banfield@cbc.caWith files from Gwyneth Egan
Long-time Cardigan firefighter remembered as a trusted protector of the community
