The 45th annual Canadian Police and Peace Officers Memorial Service will take place on September 27 in Ottawa.
Memorial Service Coordinator Staff Sgt. Steve Boucher says the program will be live-streamed from Parliament Hill.
“We do not believe we can hold a large-scale event under the circumstances on the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,” Boucher says.
He says the morning will start with a ‘solemn reading of the names of office3rs who have made the ultimate sacrifice, and will include the same familiar elements of previous services.’
The service itself will take place in the Summer Pavilion adjacent the tablets overlooking the bluff onto the Ottawa River. The area is quite small and will only accommodate the small number of people essential to run the service.
Due to construction, the area is only accessible by two small paths on the east and west side of Parliament Hill. Those pathways will be closed by Parliamentary Protective Services, with admission to the area by invitation and confirmed with valid identification.
“We do not wish to prohibit people from traveling and paying their respects,” Boucher notes. “We also do not wish to encourage unnecessary travel or invite any large gatherings in the interest of public health and safety, given the ongoing pandemic.”
On September 24, 1998 the Government of Canada officially proclaimed the last Sunday of September of every year as Police and Peace Officers’ National Memorial Day. This National Memorial Day gives Canadians an opportunity each year to formally express appreciation for the dedication of police and peace officers, which made the ultimate tragic sacrifice to keep our communities safe.
Unfortunately, some three to five die on duty yearly. In 1978 the first Memorial honoured 14 officers. In 2019 the names of over 870 fallen officers are engraved on the Honour Roll tablets. After several years at a temporary place behind East Block, the tablets are back in their original location next to the Summer Pavilion overlooking the Ottawa River.
More information is forthcoming.