Welcome
Canadian Police Memorial Ride to Remember
September 24th - 27th, 2025
They Are Our Heroes, We Shall Not Forget Them
About the Ride
Welcome to the Canadian Police Memorial Ride to Remember website!
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The Ride to Remember began as our way to honour our heroes, those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their community and to ensure the magnitude of their sacrifice is never forgotten. 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.
On September 27, 1998, the Solicitor General of Canada stated that “A formal, national Memorial Day gives Canadians an opportunity each year to formally express appreciation for the dedication of police and peace officers who make the ultimate, tragic sacrifice to keep communities safe.”
History of the memorial service
The Memorial Book, The Pavilion, and The Memorial Stone
During the 1984 service in Ottawa, a Memorial Book of Remembrance for police and peace officers killed in the line of duty, was introduced by the Office of the Solicitor General and the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP).
On March 22, 1994, Prime Minister Jean Chretien joined the more than 700 police officers and relatives of slain officers at a site behind the Parliament buildings. The Canadian Police Association (CPA) and the CACP dedicated the new Canadian Police Memorial Pavilion and the granite stone at the base of the pavilion that displays the names of the officers who made the ultimate sacrifice.
When the granite stone was unveiled in 1994, it displayed the names of 227 police officers killed in the line of duty since 1879. Two other stones were also erected; one for peace officers killed in the line of duty and another explaining the pavilion’s history. In 1995, the memorial honour roll was expanded to include the names of slain officers from other Canadian law enforcement agencies, including the Ministry of Natural Resources, Customs and Excise, Fisheries and Oceans and Conservation.
As the turn of the millennium, approached, the granite stones and memorial book presented several challenges. In 1999, the CPA, the CACP and the CPOMA worked collaboratively with official from Public Works and Government Services Canada to design a new honour roll to enhance the memorial Pavilion site, compliment the design features of Parliament Hill and provide sufficient space to recognize our heroes for another 100 years.
The parties agreed upon a glass panel monument to be erected along the perimeter wall, adjacent to the Memorial Pavilion. The new monument enhances the existing Memorial Pavilion, provides a lasting tribute to our heroes and ensure future generations will be provided with a striking reminder of the sacrifices of our fallen heroes. The new honour roll was unveiled in conjunction with the 2000 Memorial Service, as part of Parliament’s millennium celebration, replacing the granite stones and retiring the Memorial Book of Remembrance.
Two-gun Salute
The 1978 ceremony opened with a two-gun salute, fired by members of the 30th Field Regiment of the RCA. This symbolizes a long-standing association between the Ottawa Police Service and the 30th Field Regiment, also know as the Bytown Gunners. Both were founded in 1855 and have a long history of mutual support in difficult times; from civil unrest in the early days of Canada’s history, to royal visits in later years. After the salute, one brass sell case was saved and mounted a s commemorative piece with the inscription – To fallen comrades, Parliament Hill, September 24, 1978 – along with the badges of the Ottawa Police Service and the Bytown Gunners mounted above and below the inscription. The piece was presented to the Ottawa Police Service on July 7, 1979.
Police and Peace Officers’ National Memorial Day
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. In announcing the commemorative day, the Solicitor General of Canada stated that “a formal, national memorial day gives Canadians an opportunity each year to formally express appreciation for the dedication of police and peace officers, who make the ultimate, tragic sacrifice to keep communities safe.”
On January 17, 2003, a nation-wide half-masing was included in the new half-masting rules. The flags will be half-masted on all federal buildings and establishments in Canada, including the Peace Tower, from sunrise to sunset on the Police and Peace Officers’ National Memorial Day.
Sponsors
Group Rides
May 24th, 2025
Tour de Force - West Region Ride in London
May 24th, 2025
Tour de Force - West Region Ride in London
May 25th, 2025
Tour de Force - West Region Ride in Hamilton
May 25th, 2025
Tour de Force - West Region Ride in Hamilton
June 21st, 2025
Tour de Force - Central Region Ride in Ajax
June 21st, 2025
Tour de Force - Central Region Ride in Ajax
July 12th, 2025
Tour de Force - East Region Ride in Kingston
July 12th, 2025
Tour de Force - East Region Ride in Kingston
September 6th & 7th, 2025
Tour de Force - Manitoulin Island (Mark Hovingh Memorial Ride)
September 6th & 7th, 2025
Tour de Force - Manitoulin Island (Mark Hovingh Memorial Ride)
Contact Us
Canadian Police Memorial Ride to Remember
Countdown to R2R 2025!
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