Memorial police processions to honour fallen officers
Each year, the Canadian Police and Peace Officers’ Memorial Ride — the ‘Ride to Remember’ — and the National Peace Officer ‘Memorial Run’ pay respect to those officers who lost their lives in the line of duty.
On Friday, Sept. 22, 2023, the annual Ride to Remember and the Memorial Run will pass through Napanee and Kingston en route to Ottawa. The ride is a six-day 1,000+-kilometre bike ride from the Ontario Police College to Ottawa, while the run is a three-day 460-kilometre run from Queen’s Park to Parliament Hill.
The purpose of both the Ride and Run is to raise awareness of the annual Canadian Police and Peace Officers National Memorial Service, a ceremony that pays tribute to officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. The 46th annual Canadian Police and Peace Officers’ Memorial Service will take place on Parliament Hill on Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023.
This year, Kingston Police officers will team up with officers from Gananoque and Brockville Police to join over 160 other police officers from across the province to honour their fallen comrades and pay respects to their families.
The Ride will make its brief stop at the Royal Coachman Restaurant in Greater Napanee at approximately 8:30 a.m. on Friday. According to a release from the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), the OPP Commissioner will be presenting a bike and helmet to a preselected youth during that stop. The runners plan to arrive between 11 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. at Springside Park.
According to the OPP, the route will continue along Belleville Road in front of Napanee District Secondary School to Bridge Street, travelling east to Highway 2. Members of the community are encouraged to support the participants by lining the streets along the route as we remember the fallen.
The Ride is then expected to stop for Fort Henry at approximately 11:30 a.m. Kingston Police said that members of the public are encouraged to come out and show their support for the riders as they make their way along King Street to Ontario Street, past City Hall and up to Fort Henry for lunch.
The ride will then continue through Gananoque and onto Brockville that afternoon.
On September 24, 1998, the Government of Canada officially proclaimed the last Sunday of September of every year as the Police and Peace Officers’ National Memorial Day. Since 2013 Kingston Police have been active members and supporters of the Ride to Remember, which seeks to raise public awareness as well as financial support for the families of fallen officers.