Thousands of police officers, from across Canada will gather on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, will deliver the opening address, and Vic Toews, the Minister of Public Safety, will also participate in the 34th Memorial Service.
In the past year four police and peace officers have made the ultimate sacrifice in keeping communities safe. They are:
Constable Michael B. Potvin – July 13, 2010 (Royal Canadian Mounted Police)
- Constable Sébastien Coghlan-Goyette – November 14, 2010 (Sûreté du Québec)
- Sergeant Ryan J. Russell – January 12, 2011 (Toronto Police Service)
- Constable Garrett Styles – June 28, 2011 (York Regional Police Service)
Other historical names that will be honoured this year are:
- Inspector of Fisheries William Gibbard – July 28, 1863 (Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources)
- Constable Thomas Dobbin – May 13, 1874 (Police provinciale du Québec, Hull)
- Constable George Clarke – August 13, 1875 (Police provinciale du Québec, Québec)
- Sergeant Lazare Doré – September 29, 1877 (Police provinciale du Québec, Québec)
- Special Constable John R. Davey – September 6, 1892 (Cornwall City Police)
- Constable William Rourke – September 22, 1915 (Coburg Police)
- Quarry Instructor Gabriel Childs – February 23, 1933 (Collin`s Bay Penitentiary)
- Constable Joseph Lafleur – October 9, 1933 (Service de la circulation (Voirie) Montréal)
- Constable Bernard Juneau – September 17, 1936 (Ministère de la Voirie, Circulation, Sherbrooke)
- Constable Émile Perras – October 7, 1937 (Ministère de la Voirie, Circulation, Laval)
- Constable Gérard Bouchard – June 13, 1940 (Sûreté provinciale de Québec, Rimouski)
- Deputy Inspector Gérard Bourgeault – September 11, 1940 (Sûreté provinciale du Québec, Montréal)
- Constable Roland W.J. Allen – December 1, 1940 (Sûreté provinciale de Québec, Montréal)
- Constable Ovila Roy – September 20, 1941 (Sûreté provinciale du Québec, Lévis)
- Constable Charlemagne Bouchard – July 24, 1946 (Sûreté provinciale du Québec, Québec)
- Constable Robert Lévesque – August 23, 1954 (Sûreté provinciale du Québec, Rivière-du-Loup)
- Constable Fabien Galipeault – October 19, 1954 (Sûreté provinciale du Québec, L’Assomption)
- Constable Florian Poirier – July 29, 1955 (Sûreté provinciale du Québec, Québec)
- Constable Roger Beaupré – November 10, 1958 (Sûreté provinciale du Québec, Sept-Iles)
- Matron Émilia Nadeau-Morel – July 25, 1960 (Sûreté provinciale du Québec, Québec)
- Sergeant Lucien Danis – September 22, 1960 (Sûreté provinciale du Québec, Saint-Jérôme)
- Constable Jean-Marc Godmer – September 22, 1960 (Sûreté provinciale du Québec, Saint-Jérôme)
- Constable Gérard Richard – August 12, 1961 (Sûreté provinciale du Québec, Nicolet)
- Constable Frédeau Simard – October 16, 1961 (Sûreté provinciale du Québec, Portneuf)
- Constable Marius Trépanier – December 18, 1962 (Sûreté provinciale du Québec, Rimouski)
- Constable Philippe Mailhot – May 10, 1963 (Sûreté provinciale du Québec, Pont-Viau)
- Constable Émile Lachance – October 3, 1963 (Sûreté provinciale du Québec, Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré)
- Constable Guy Renaud – October 25, 1965 (Sûreté du Québec, poste de Val d’Or)
- Corporal Georges Hélie – November 6, 1965 (Sûreté du Québec, poste de Cowansville)
- Special Constable Claude Guay – September 8, 1966 (Sûreté du Québec, poste de Chibougamau)
- Constable Ghislain Martineau – March 9, 1968 (Sûreté du Québec, poste de Coaticook)
- Constable André Duhaime – July 1, 1968 (Sûreté du Québec, poste de Trois-Rivières)
- Constable Alain Falardeau – November 27, 1968 (Sûreté du Québec, poste de Ste-Anne-de-La-Pérade)
- Constable Marc-André Gagnon – February 10, 1973 (Sûreté du Québec, poste de Alma)
- Constable Normand Tremblay – December 4, 1973 (Sûreté du Québec, poste de Montréal-Métro)
- Constable Bernard Brassard – March 25, 1977 (Sûreté du Québec, poste de Grande-Vallée)
- Constable Gilles Lamarre – September 19, 1980 (Sûreté du Québec, poste de Montréal)
- Constable André Simard – November 2, 1980 (Sûreté du Québec, poste de St-Joseph-de-Beauce)
- Constable Serge Lamy – May 23, 1981 (Sûreté du Québec, poste de Joliette)
- Sergeant Jacques Martin – October 15, 1981 (Sûreté du Québec, poste de Matane)
- Constable Laurier Bédard – January 20, 1982 (Sûreté du Québec, poste de Chicoutimi)
- Constable Richard Dubé – May 27, 1983 (Sûreté du Québec, poste de Québec)
- Constable Gaétan Boutin – April 19, 1988 (Sûreté du Québec, poste de Campbell’s Bay)
- Constable Mario Camiré – April 19, 1988 (Sûreté du Québec, poste de Campbell’s Bay)
- Constable Richard Rochefort – June 26, 1988 (Sûreté du Québec, poste de Rimouski)
- Constable Chantal Mattio – December 7, 1992 (Sûreté du Québec, poste de Ste-Agathe)
- Constable Stéphane Roy – February 24, 1994) (Sûreté du Québec, poste de La Sarre)
Their names are forever etched on the glass panels erected along the perimeter wall adjacent to the Memorial Pavilion which now totals 822 fallen officers. The Service is a lasting tribute to the sacrifice of those brave men and women.
“THEY ARE OUR HEROES, WE SHALL NOT FORGET THEM”.
In 1998, the federal government officially proclaimed the last Sunday of each September as Police and Peace Officers’ National Memorial Day. This Service gives Canadians an opportunity to express their appreciation for the ultimate dedication of these police and peace officers.
The Canadian Police and Peace Officers Annual Memorial 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).
The 34th National Memorial Service has been scheduled as follows:
- 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Reading of the entire Honour Roll of fallen officers at the Memorial Pavilion on Parliament Hill, West Corner;
- 10:00 a.m. Prelude by police choirs (steps in front of the Peace Tower);
- 10:15 a.m. Police and Peace Officers’ Parade proceeds to Parliament Hill from Supreme Court of Canada, corner of Kent and Wellington;
- 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Memorial Service on Parliament Hill.