A sombre tradition continued on the grounds of the Alberta legislature on Sunday as hundreds of police officers, peace officers, sheriffs and corrections officers gathered to pay their respects to those who have lost their lives in the line of duty in Alberta.
“You dedicate your lives and careers to Alberta, we rely on you to keep our communities safe,” Justice Minister Kathleen Ganley told the crowd who gathered for the annual event. “The officers we honour today made the ultimate sacrifice. All of you respect and honour that legacy.”
The Police and Peace Officers’ Memorial Day commemorates the lives of the 100 law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty in Alberta since 1876.
Hundreds of officers marched down 107 Street to get to the south grounds of the legislature. Once there, the names of the fallen were read and a moment of silence was held to honour the lives lost and wreaths were laid at a pillar.
“We hope (today) shows the families of those fallen their support,” Edmonton Police Service Chief Rod Knecht told the crowd, adding while they are rare, deaths in the line of duty occur far too often.
Alberta’s Capital Region has seen two recent deaths of officers who were killed in the line of duty: RCMP Const. David Wynn and Edmonton Police Service Const. Daniel Woodall.
In January 2015, Wynn was shot while investigating a vehicle theft in the community just outside Edmonton. Police said it was a routine licence plate check that led to 42-year-old Wynn being critically injured in a confrontation at the Apex Casino in St. Albert.
READ MORE: ‘We’re saying our goodbyes today’: wife of St. Albert RCMP Const. Wynn
Just months later, Woodall was shot and later died after arriving at an Edmonton home to execute an arrest warrant.
READ MORE: Edmonton police Const. Daniel Woodall, 35, killed in west-end shooting
Watch below: In late 2015, Kendra Slugoski filed this report after Edmonton Police Chief Rod Knecht told Global News that 2015 was a difficult year for Edmonton police.
Police and Peace Officers’ Memorial Day also aims to recognize families, friends and colleagues of those killed in the line of duty. The Edmonton event coincides with the Police and Peace Officers’ National Memorial Day ceremony held at Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
-With files from Julia Wong
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