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This year's ceremony will be a virtual ceremony livestreamed from Parliament Hill on Sunday, September 26.
Ottawa (26 Sept. 2021) — Because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Memorial Committee of the Canadian Police and Peace Officers’ Memorial Service has announced that this year there will be a virtual ceremony livestreamed from Parliament Hill on Sunday, September 26.
Service at Summer Pavilion overlooking Ottawa River by invitation only
This year’s ceremony will be conducted in a very similar fashion to past years' events. The morning will start with a solemn reading of the names of fallen officers and will include the same familiar elements of previous services.
The reading of the names will start at 9 am, and the service will start at 11 am.
The memorial service, including the reading of the names, will be conducted on Parliament Hill at the Summer Pavilion. However, attendance is by invitation only, and there will be no parade (marching). The priority is given to the next of kin and heads of departments and agencies.
While the lawns and public spaces of Parliament Hill will be open to the public, all buildings will remain closed. The ongoing construction provides a significant physical and visual barrier such that anyone wishing to attend the Hill on their own will unfortunately not be able to see or hear the service.
Officers will be recognized
This year, the Governor General, Mary Simon, will be attending the service.
On the west lawn, there will be 16 honour guards from different departments or agencies. They will be representing both peace officers and police officers. There will be 8 members of the choir.
There will also be a video wall so attendees on the lawn can view the service.
Again, this year, the officers who have died on duty in the past 2 years will be recognized but their names not yet added to the tablets. Their families prefer to wait another year to get a full-fledged service.
Link to live stream
The service will be live streamed on different social media platforms and the links will be posted on https://cppom.ca/LIVE/