Canadian Police and Peace Officers

Annual service on Parliament Hill is not about death but respect for the fallen

Ottawa (30 Sept. 2007) - Thousands of peace and police officers gathered on Parliament Hill Sunday for the annual memorial service honouring Canadian officers killed while on duty.

"I think that's what the family members are asking today - simply that we remember," Stockwell Day, the federal minister of public safety, told all who gathered for the solemn occasion.

In attendance were officers from across Canada representing a wide range of enforcement and corrections agencies. Also participating were union representatives as well as police officials from the United States.

Thousands gather on Parliament Hill
Lawrence Cadieux (BCGEU)	Barry Nowoselsky (SGEU) and Leah Hogue (MGEU)
Solemn occasion attracts officers from across Canada and the United States
Herb Norton (SGEU), Lori Bossaer (SGEU) and Garry Smith (NSGEU)

Tony Cannavino, president of the Canadian Police Association (CPA), told the crowd the occasion was not about death but respect. "We want to say to our heroes: 'We'll never forget you, you're still in our hearts,'" he said.

Honour Roll grows to 738 fallen officers

The names of four officers killed while on duty during the past year were added to the monument:

• Wildlife Protection Officer M. Richard Cayouette (Québec Ministry of Natural Resources and Wildlife);
• Constable David Mounsey (Ontario Provincial Police, Wingham, ON);
• Detective Constable Robert Plunkett (York Regional Police, ON); and,
• Constable Daniel Tessier (Laval Police, QC).

In addition, the following historical names were added:

• Constable Ernest Laverge, February 28, 1952 (Hull Police, QC);
• Corporal Laurance P. Ryder, January 20, 1943 (RCMP, NB);
• Chief Jules Vachon, June 3, 1934 (Trois Rivières Police, QC);
• Constable Miles Campbell, June 29, 1929 (OPP, Ottawa, ON); and,
• Constable Frank H. Sissons, September 8, 1921 (Alberta Provincial Police, AB).

The additions raise the total inscribed on the Memorial Honour Roll to 738 fallen officers. The names are etched on the glass panels erected along the perimeter of Parliament Hill adjacent to the Memorial Pavilion.

The last Sunday in September

In 1998, Parliament officially proclaimed the last Sunday of September as Police and Peace Officers’ National Memorial Day. The annual memorial service gives Canadians an opportunity to express appreciation for the dedication of all fallen police and peace officers.

The National Memorial Day Service is organized by the Canadian Police Association (CPA), the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) and the Canadian Peace Officers’ Memorial Association (CPOMA).

NUPGE

The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring that our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE