For the first time, the Ontario Police Memorial Ceremony of Remembrance honouring officers who have died in the line of duty was held online.

A virtual ceremony was held on May 3 to honour 267 Ontario police officers who have died in the line of duty.

Instead of the usual crowds, five lone pipers played Amazing Grace, which was streamed live. Viewers were encouraged to stay home and tune in online.

“Today and everyday throughout the year we remember and honour those brave men and women who have died in the line of duty,” says Mike Adair, president of the Ontario Police Memorial Foundation.

Adair said the 11 a.m. ceremony gave viewers a moment of silence “to reflect and remember all of our brothers and sisters from police services close to home and across Canada.”

He said the ceremony is in memory of the valiant Ontario officers who gave their lives in the line of duty.

If it weren’t for restrictions placed upon the province as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the annual ceremony would have attracted hundreds of people as it does yearly to the Ontario Police Memorial site, located on Queen’s Park Crescent.

The flag was lowered to half-mast to acknowledge fallen officers, including Const. Heidi Stevenson of the Nova Scotia RCMP, who was killed last month in the country’s worst mass killing spree that left 22 people dead.

“Recent tragic events in Nova Scotia earlier bring into sharp focus the need to recognize and honour those officers who have given their lives in service to their communities,” says Timmins Police Chief John Gauthier.