Edmontonians, Canadian police officers line streets to say farewell to fallen EPS officers
Edmontonians, Canadian police officers line streets to say farewell to fallen EPS officers
Community members and police services from across the country gathered on Monday to mourn two Edmonton Police Service officers killed in the line of duty earlier this month.
The procession route from the Alberta legislature to Rogers Place was lined with supporters showing their respect ahead of the regimental funeral for constables Brett Ryan and Travis Jordan.
At least 35 first responders, government agencies, military and law enforcement services participated in the procession and regimental funeral, according to EPS.
An Edmonton teacher, Sophia, and her two children watched as the long column of officers passed through the legislature grounds. They proudly held a sign that read, "Thank you for your service."
As a teacher, Sophia says she sees first-hand the impact that school resource officers and EPS members make on a daily basis. She brought her sons to witness the procession and see the mix of officers and service members.
Edmonton teacher Sophia and her two sons watch the procession of law enforcement and government agencies toward Rogers Place on Monday, March 27, 2023 (CTV News Edmonton/Matt Marshall).
"I think it's really important to see the vast number of people who put their lives at risk every single day to make sure that we are safe in this community and people are taken care of," she told CTV News Edmonton.
Toronto Chief of Police Myron Demkiw marched in the procession alongside fellow police officers from across the country.
"We are here to pay respect," Demkiw said. "It's an incredibly difficult time in policing right now."
"Regrettably, in the last year, we've seen too many police funerals, and as I look around today on this parade square, I can see uniforms from all over our great country," he added.
"[This] brings us together in a way, unlike any other event, quite frankly: the grief, the sorrow and the healing that we will embark on in the coming days, weeks and months."
A blue ribbon is wrapped on a light post along the processional route to the regimental funeral on Monday, March 27, 2023 (CTV News Edmonton/Dave Mitchell).
'BEST WISHES FORWARD'
A father of one of the police members marching watched the solemn procession downtown.
Kevin told CTV News Edmonton it was both a proud and difficult moment as he saw Brian, his son, march by. Brian's girlfriend, Alexa, is also a police officer.
"I'm very proud of them and what they do," Kevin explained. "On the other hand, it's scary.
"We need to show our support more," he added. "Everything they do for our communities and keeping us safe."
"We are here to put our support forward and grieve as a family and just put all our best wishes forward."
Police salute during the procession for Edmonton Police Service constables Travis Jordan and Brett Ryan in Edmonton, Monday, March 27, 2023 (The Canadian Press/Jason Franson).
Christine, whose husband is an RCMP officer, was outside Rogers Place. She described the 11 days since the fatal shooting of the EPS constables as incredibly emotional.
"It's hard for me as a spouse who has gone through worrying nights of not knowing what is happening," she said. "I also have friends who are members working night shifts, you never know what they are going to be responding to.
"I can't imagine what those wives are going through – and family members."
RCMP members wait to proceed into Rogers Place ahead of the regimental funeral and celebration of life for two fallen EPS officers on Monday, March 27, 2023 (CTV News Edmonton/Dave Mitchell).
'A DAY OF COMING TOGETHER'
Retired Canadian Armed Forces signal corps member Walter Sinclair said he attended the procession because he knows how important it is for grieving families to be supported by their community.
"Anyone that serves in any capacity, in policing or the military, we have to support," Sinclair said. "We have to come forward."
"It's a disheartening time," he added. "There's a lot of pain. But there's comfort in coming together."
Dan Jones, criminologist and retired EPS inspector, joined CTV News Edmonton's coverage of the procession and recalled participating in Const. Daniel Woodall's regimental funeral eight years ago.
Like the 2015 funeral, he described Monday's commemoration as sobering and beautiful.
"It's a day of coming together," Jones said. "It's really nice to see the city wrapping around the police again."
"It's cold out today," he added, "[but Edmontonians] are making sure they are showing their support for the brave men and women of the Edmonton Police Service."
Agencies that participated in the funeral march included:
Alberta Health Services Emergency Medical Services
Alberta Health Services Protective Services
Alberta Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Services
Alberta Correctional Services
Alberta Sheriffs
Blood Tribe Police Service
British Columbia Sheriff Service
Calgary Police Service
Camrose Police Service
Canadian Armed Forces
Canadian Air Force Military Police Group
City of Calgary Emergency Management Agency
City of Edmonton Bylaw Services
City of Edmonton Fire Rescue Services
CN Police Service
Correctional Services of Canada
CP Police Service
Durham Regional Police Service
Edmonton Police Service Veterans’ Association
Fredericton Police Force
Greater Sudbury Police Service
Halifax Regional Police
Lacombe Police Service
Le Service de Police de Laval
Medicine Hat Police Service
New York State Police
Ontario Provincial Police
Ottawa Police Service
Peel Regional Police
Police Association of Ontario
Prince Albert Police Service
RCMP
Red Deer Emergency Services
Saanich Police Department
Saskatoon Police Service
Springfield Police Service
St. Albert Fire Service
St. Paul Fire Department
Summerside Police Service
Sûreté du Québec
Taber Police Service
Toronto Police Service
Tsuut’ina Nation Police Service
Vancouver Police Department
Victoria Police Department
Waterloo Regional Police Service
Winnipeg Police Service
York Regional Police
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Carmen Leibel and Erin Isfeld
As bystanders screamed for help, a man with a knife stabbed four young children at a lakeside park in the French Alps on Thursday, assaulting at least one in a stroller repeatedly. The children between 22 months and 3 years old suffered life-threatening injuries, and two adults also were wounded, authorities said.
The hot, dry conditions that are fuelling wildfires countrywide are just the beginning of what summer could look like in Canada this year, according to Environment Canada senior climatologist Dave Phillips.
The battle against hundreds of wildfires continues, as almost every jurisdiction in Canada remains under either heat or air quality warnings from the federal government. The day after what was supposed to be national Clean Air Day, dozens of alerts remain in place for unseasonable heat or smoky air quality.
Norwegian officials said the smoke from Canadian wildfires that has enveloped parts of the U.S. and Canada in a thick haze is expected to pour into Norway on Thursday.
New Brunswick students under the age of 16 who identify as trans and non-binary won't be able to officially change their names or pronouns in school without parental consent.
Pat Robertson, a religious broadcaster who turned a tiny Virginia station into the global Christian Broadcasting Network, tried a run for president and helped make religion central to Republican Party politics in America through his Christian Coalition, has died.
An official recommendation to wear a mask to protect yourself from wildfire smoke is being echoed by health experts as plumes of smoke make their way across parts of Canada, causing poor air quality.
Calgary city council has reconsidered its decision to vote against recommendations made by an expert panel to address the city’s housing affordability crisis.
Police say a man on a mobility scooter has life-altering injuries after he was struck by a vehicle in a northeast Calgary intersection on Wednesday evening.
An official recommendation to wear a mask to protect yourself from wildfire smoke is being echoed by health experts as plumes of smoke make their way across parts of Canada, causing poor air quality.
Flooded underpasses have been a common occurrence in Regina this spring with several thunderstorms dumping heavy rain on the city, but Mayor Sandra Masters says several solutions are in the works to help prevent further flooding.
Regina city council has asked its administration to pursue permission from the Saskatchewan Municipal Board (SMB) to increase its debt limit to $780 million.
An official recommendation to wear a mask to protect yourself from wildfire smoke is being echoed by health experts as plumes of smoke make their way across parts of Canada, causing poor air quality.
New Brunswick students under the age of 16 who identify as trans and non-binary won't be able to officially change their names or pronouns in school without parental consent.
The Halifax Regional Municipality says it will announce Thursday when more residents can return to their homes in communities impacted by the Tantallon wildfires.
Irving Oil says it’s undertaking a “strategic review” with an eye to its future. In a release Wednesday, the company says it’s looking at a number of options, including the sale of its assets.
A European family who says they were evicted from their long-term Airbnb rental in Toronto last week has sparked a precedent-setting fight about landlords who treat long-term renters like hotel guests.
An Ontario man has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of Claudia Iacono, the daughter-in-law of Mafia associate Moreno Gallo, after she was gunned down at the wheel of her car in Montreal last month.
The hot, dry conditions that are fuelling wildfires countrywide are just the beginning of what summer could look like in Canada this year, according to Environment Canada senior climatologist Dave Phillips.
The man in the spotlight during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic in Quebec, Dr. Horacio Arruda, has been appointed assistant deputy minister at the Ministry of Health and Social Services.
Smoke and haze from wildfires cleared over Ottawa-Gatineau on Thursday, allowing outdoor recreational programming and activities to resume. Officials warm the smoke and haze could return on Friday afternoon.
The Ottawa Real Estate Board says home sales were up six per cent in May 2023 compared to a year prior, marking the first year-over-year unit sales volume increase since early last year.
There's high levels of air pollution in Waterloo region and Wellington County as smoke plumes from wildfires burning in Quebec and northeastern Ontario continue to blow into the region, Environment Canada says.
Kitchener is hosting a series of watch parties to cheer on basketball star Jamal Murray as his Denver Nuggets take on the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals.
Romance scams have always been around, but they got worse during the pandemic, and fraudsters continue to use social media and dating sites to find victims.
The hot, dry conditions that are fuelling wildfires countrywide are just the beginning of what summer could look like in Canada this year, according to Environment Canada senior climatologist Dave Phillips.
Manitoban and Vegas Golden Knight defenceman Zach Whitecloud is getting plenty of support from his hometown community while he competes for the Stanley Cup.
An official recommendation to wear a mask to protect yourself from wildfire smoke is being echoed by health experts as plumes of smoke make their way across parts of Canada, causing poor air quality.
Some of the world's top players are teeing off at the RBC Canadian Open today amid the hotly debated LIV Golf-PGA Tour controversy that shook the golf world this week.
There's no end in sight for the closure of Highway 4 on Vancouver Island – the only highway leading to the communities of Port Alberni, Tofino and Ucluelet – due to a wildfire burning in the area.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the Victoria Sexual Assault Centre has seen an increase in women, trans and gender-diverse survivors seeking support after experiencing sexualized violence.
A busload of high school students were finally heading home to Nanaimo on Wednesday after they were stranded by a raging wildfire that forced them to spend the night inside a Port Alberni high school.
Edmonton teacher Sophia and her two sons watch the procession of law enforcement and government agencies toward Rogers Place on Monday, March 27, 2023 (CTV News Edmonton/Matt Marshall).
A blue ribbon is wrapped on a light post along the processional route to the regimental funeral on Monday, March 27, 2023 (CTV News Edmonton/Dave Mitchell).
Police salute during the procession for Edmonton Police Service constables Travis Jordan and Brett Ryan in Edmonton, Monday, March 27, 2023 (The Canadian Press/Jason Franson).
RCMP members wait to proceed into Rogers Place ahead of the regimental funeral and celebration of life for two fallen EPS officers on Monday, March 27, 2023 (CTV News Edmonton/Dave Mitchell).
