Vigil held for Happy Valley-Goose Bay mayor suffering from gunshot wound
John Hickey's gun went off Saturday when he was in the woods checking his snares
About 250 Happy Valley-Goose Bay residents came together Tuesday night in support of their mayor, John Hickey.
- Town business as usual, even as gunshot wound keeps Happy Valley-Goose Bay mayor in hospital
- Happy Valley-Goose Bay mayor suffers gunshot to the face while out trapping
"He's done a lot for the community," said grandson Nolan Walsh.
"It made me feel kinda good knowing that he has so much support around the town."
Hickey was in the woods Saturday checking snares when his gun went off and he was shot under the chin.
He was taken to hospital in St. John's, where he remains sedated and in critical condition after surgery.
"Well, the doctor wasn't long saying 'John Hickey is a fighter' and I thought, 'You don't even know. You don't even know how much of a fighter he is,'" said stepdaughter Anna Goudie.
"He's quite a guy."
The ceremony
Candles provided by the town were lit Tuesday as a prayer was said and town councillors gave remarks.
Coun. Lori Dyson passed on thanks from Hickey's family and said the mayor is "holding his own" in St. John's.
"He's come so far as it is," she said.
Hickey has undergone one surgery so far and is expected to undergo more.