Police officers around the country remember their fallen comrades
Posted Sep 29, 2013 7:10 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Several Calgary police officers made the trek to Edmonton Sunday afternoon for the Alberta Police and Peace Officer Memorial ceremony.
The wreath laying ceremony honours the fallen officers in the provinces history.
The ceremony at the Legislature lists the names of the officers killed from 1876 until now.
President of the Alberta Federation of Police Associations, Paul Wozney, said among others, the ceremony honours Cst. John Petropoulos who fell September 29, 2000.
“His family has been invited to attend to present a specific wreath recognizing Constable Petropoulis death in the line of duty,” Wozney said..
Wozney notes although other countries may deal with more violence, Canadian officers never back away from danger.
“We don’t run away from gunshots or that sort of thing, we run towards it, so you can understand that there has been several police officers, Calgary officers as well who have been killed in the line of duty,” he said.
On July 18, 2006 a permanent monument, called the Pillar of Strength, was unveiled on the grounds of the Alberta Legislature where the wreaths will be laid.
Also honoured was High River’s Rod Lazenby, an RCMP officer turned peace officer, who was killed August 10, 2012.
For a complete list of the fallen Albertan officers click here.
Meanwhile police officers from across Canada are gathering on Parliament Hill Sunday morning to remember officers who have died in the line of duty as part of Police and Peace Officers National Memorial Day.
The final Sunday of September was designated “Police and Peace Officers National Memorial Day” since a Federal Government Proclamation in 1998.
This day had its roots with the murder of rookie Ottawa Police Officer David Kirkwood back in 1977.
Ottawa Police Officers held a service for him on Parliament hill, that ceremony was then expanded to include other officers killed in the line of duty.
The list of officers grows every year.
Eight more names will be added to the honour roll, including Ottawa native, Constable Steve Dery, who was working with the Kativik Regional Police in Northern Quebec when he was shot in March.
