Honouring Heroes in Life
The policing family gathered at Queen’s Park on May 4 to pay tribute to the 283 Ontario police officers who lost their lives in the line of duty.
“Today is a chance for us to come together and remember the sacrifices made by the brave officers who gave their lives while protecting the people of this province,” said Premier Doug Ford. “When you have a family member who walks out that door daily, you pray they walk back through that door at nighttime. As we have seen, that does not always happen. But we will do everything we can to make sure every officer returns home to their loved ones.”
The names of the fallen police officers who have died on the job are inscribed on a granite wall at the Ontario Police Memorial site.
“It is only by the Grace of God that more names have not been added to the memorial list here,” Ford added. “We have seen too many over the years since I took office almost seven years ago. I am here today to say to the members of our police services thank you for the risk you take while protecting us from harm.”
Ontario’s Lieutenant Governor Edith Dumont said the fallen officers were heroes in life.
“I thank the Ontario Police Memorial Foundation for their historical research and for bringing us together every year and reminding us that the act of remembrance is an act of connection,” she said. “Today as colleagues, neighbours, family, friends and citizens, we demonstrate and strengthen our connections. In solidarity and in unity, we commit to carrying forward the values that those whose watch have ended gave their lives to preserve.”
Michael Kerzner, the province’s Solicitor General, said Ontario’s police services are part of the rich tapestry of the province.
“Our police officers remind us each day that things are impossible until they are not. That you can be vulnerable, but not fragile and that you can possess a core of strength stronger than the worse that life can bring. Those who serve know that bravery is far more common than imagined, sometimes merging with sudden splendour even in the face of death.”
For the past 26 years, the Ontario Police Memorial Foundation (OPMF) has been honouring the fallen officers on the first Sunday of May.
“This day reminds us of the incredible sacrifice police officers make each and every day,” Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw said. “Today, we come to honour those who made the ultimate sacrifice. It is very important for not just police officers, but our community to come together on this day and stop and reflect on the incredible commitment our members make.”
OPMF president Colin Woods said it is important to honour the lives, the courage and the legacy of the province’s fallen police officers.
“We stand together as family members, colleagues and community members to remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice to the people of this province,” he noted. “Each of the 283 names etched on the memorial tells a story of dedication, service and profound loss. These women and men put on the uniform knowing the risks and they went out each day to uphold justice, protect the vulnerable and preserve peace.”
This year, Rainy River Police officer Wilford Fairless who died in 2010 and Constable Craig Town who died in 2023, were added to the Wall of Honour.
Jenny Hong, the widow of Toronto Police Constable Andrew Hong who was killed while on the job in September 2022, laid a wreath on behalf of families of the fallen.
Police officers from across the province, on motorcycles and marching in lockstep, honoured the families of fallen officers in a March Past along Queen's Park Circle.
A total of 44 TPS officers have died in the line of duty since 1908 when Constable John Acton succumbed nine months after being jumped and beaten by thugs in a laneway while trying to make an arrest.
Visit the Ontario Police Memorial Foundation website.
