The Battle of Bunker Hill Day Parade Committee announced this week that John Tkachuk has been named the Grand Marshal for this year’s parade and its surrounding festivities.
Coordinator Arthur Hurley broke the official news on Monday, saying that Tkachuk will be a good choice and that he’s excited to kick off the parade system.
“John Tkachuk will be the Grand Marshal this year,” said Hurley. “He’s a retired Boston firefighter and a Marine Corps veteran. He served in Vietnam and grew up in Charlestown. We’re all ok with him. He’s a popular guy with a good background in the Fire Department and Marine Corps. They’re a big hockey family and very involved in hockey.”
Tkachuk is married to Geraldine, and the couple has deep roots in Charlestown, with John being very involved in the Old Charlestown Schoolboys’ Association. Their son Keith was a star hockey player for Boston University, and later as a pro with the St. Louis Blues. Their grandson, Matthew Tkachuk, is an up and coming NHL star with the Calgary Flames, while their other grandson plays college hockey.
A fundraiser to kick off the Grand Marshal duties will take place in the near future.
•On another note, Hurley announced that the Parade route will be changed slightly again this year, cutting Green Street out of the Parade so that the procession can go up Monument Avenue from Main Street.
“It works better because nobody really lives on Green Street,” he said.
Last year the Parade was shortened after many years of discussion about the matter, cutting out many of the streets beyond Thompson Square. Now, the Parade will go beyond the Square on Main Street and turn onto Monument Avenue to proceed to Monument Square.