Anthony "Tony" Van den Broek

Tony (Anthony Gerard) Van den Broek lived his entire life in the village of Cardigan, PEI. He was a devoted husband, father, stepfather, Opa (grandfather), brother, and friend.

He joined the Cardigan Fire Department in 1983 at the age of 22.  He served for 42 years, the final few as Chief of this volunteer department. Over the years Tony invested many hours in the planning/designing of new firetrucks, upgrades to the firehall, and improvements in gear and equipment for the crew. He loved all aspects of being a firefighter, but he would be the first to say the best part was the 'brotherhood' of the members.

Tony's favourite time of year was the Christmas season. For the last few years Tony organized a firetruck Santa Claus parade through the village with three fire departments sending trucks, and a live Santa on top of one of the trucks.  It was the highlight of the season for the kids and families in the community.

In the summer of 2025 Tony became ill with a rare, devastating illness that progressed quickly. In late November we brought our Tony back to Cardigan to spend his final few days at home with his family in the community he loved and served. Firetrucks from three departments provided an escort through the village one last time.  A fitting tribute to this dedicated volunteer firefighter.

Lymphoma