Ceremony honours fallen Alberta police and peace officers

The annual Police and Peace Officers' Memorial Day held at the Alberta Legislature Sunday honoured the 106 police and peace officers who have died in the line of duty since 1876.

A sombre ceremony was held at the Alberta legislative grounds Sunday to remember the police and peace officers in the province who paid the ultimate sacrifice.

The annual Police and Peace Officers’ Memorial Day honoured the 106 police and peace officers who have died in the line of duty in Alberta since 1876. The ceremony is held on the last Sunday of September each year.

“For almost a century and a half, Alberta police and peace officers have unfailingly answered the call to serve and protect their neighbours and communities,” Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services Mike Ellis said.

The ceremony started with hundreds of law enforcement members from agencies across the province marching onto the south lawn of the legislature grounds, to the sounds of the regimental pipes and drums.

The day is also meant to honour the family and friends who have lost loved ones in the line of duty.

“It’s humbling to be here,” Edmonton police Chief Dale McFee said. “Each and every year, it’s our chance to pay our respect for those that have paid the ultimate sacrifice. Also, to pay it to the families who are here as well.”

McFee was pleased with the turnout from community members who attended Sunday’s ceremony, despite cooler and, at times, rainy weather. He said it was the community who got the Edmonton Police Service through the deaths of constables Travis Jordan and Brett Ryan in early 2023.

“It was the community who got us through and they continue to be our ultimate pillar of strength and our support,” McFee said.