Fallen Alberta officers honoured at legislature
Mounties in their red serge march Sunday to the legislature grounds in Edmonton for the memorial day commemoration of the 100 officers who have died in service to Alberta.
The lives of 100 fallen Alberta officers were remembered Sunday during the Provincial Police and Peace Officer Memorial Day ceremony on the Alberta Legislature grounds.
From North West Mounted Police Sub Const. John Nash, slain March 11, 1876, to Edmonton Police Service Const. Daniel Woodall, killed June 8, 2015, the men and women were memorialized by hundreds of uniformed officers from across the province.
The two most recent deaths, Woodall’s and that of RCMP Const. David Wynn in January, weighed heavily on the day’s ceremony. The crowd was still and quiet. The silence finally broken by the sound of bagpipes and drums leading the contingent of marching officers onto the parade ground.
After prayers and speeches, Woodall’s widow, Claire, laid the first wreath at the base of the Pillar of Strength, a permanent monument to fallen officers.
Claire said the fact her husband was the 100th officer to die in service of Alberta made the day’s ceremony more “intense,” but that the show of support from everyone at the ceremony meant a lot.
“It was a lot harder today than I thought it was going to be... It was difficult, but it was needed. We got great support from everybody,” she said. “It’s meant a lot seeing all these police families and all the police officers marching. It’s a big family ... it’s a close- knit family and it’s always going to be that way.”
RCMP Alberta Deputy Commissioner Marianne Ryan said she hoped the families of fallen officers like Woodall and Wynn’s take comfort in the day’s events.
“It’s the least we can do. It’s the ultimate sacrifice,” Ryan said.
Asked about what drives officers to continue with careers that frequently put them in harm’s way, Ryan said danger does sometimes weigh on officers’ minds.
“Every day that I loaded my firearm, I wondered, was today the day? And I think everyone thinks that. But for the most part, it’s tremendous satisfaction, tremendous gratitude, tremendous appreciation from the communities for the work that we do that keeps us going,” Ryan said.
Several dignitaries spoke during the ceremony, including Alberta Justice Minister Kathleen Ganley.
“I think it’s critical to recognize the sacrifice these men and women have made and the sacrifice that all law enforcement officers make when they put on the uniform, and take the risks they do, to keep the rest of us safe,” Ganley said.
Premier Rachel Notley offered condolences to the families of the two “exceptional men” who were killed while on duty this year.
“Each and every day police and peace officers around Alberta put themselves in harm’s way in order to serve and protect Albertans, and for this we owe them and their loved ones a debt of gratitude. Our deepest appreciation and thanks go to these brave women and men. Your every effort is deeply appreciated and valued,” Notley said in an emailed statement.