Cheryl Finnigan is pictured near her late husband Daniel's name on the Canadian Fallen Firefighter Memorial Wall. Image submitted.

The name of a Saint John firefighter who died in 2019 has been added to the Canadian Fallen Firefighters Memorial in Ottawa.

Lieutenant Daniel Finnigan died of a rare blood cancer and his death is considered an occupational illness and a line of duty death.

Saint John fire Chief Kevin Clifford described Dan as larger than life, someone who was proud to be from Rockwood Court and who loved being a firefighter.

“He was a tremendous leader. He was everything you want in a firefighter,” Clifford said.

Clifford said prior to joining the fire department, Finnigan worked as a jail guard and he spoke of how proud he was of that work.

“Dan would have worked in a time when we had a fair amount of fires. He was exposed to chemicals and toxins and basically, they contributed to his death. That’s why his name was on the monument in Ottawa and the monument in Saint John,” Clifford said.

A group of Saint John firefighters, both retired and current members, attended the annual ceremony in Ottawa on September 11th.

During the event, the names of every firefighter in Canada who died in the last three years were added to the wall.