Echoes from regimental funeral: Canada’s police forces mourn EPS officers

The loss of two Edmonton police officers reached well beyond the city’s limits, as was evidenced during Monday’s procession and funeral.

Police officers travelled from across the country to join their Edmonton Police Service counterparts to pay tribute to constables Brett Ryan and Travis Jordan.

Thousands of uniformed officers marched shoulder to shoulder, block after block in the procession Monday afternoon – the formal goodbye for two officers who paid the ultimate sacrifice while in the line of duty.

For O.P.P. Chief Superintendent Mike Pilon, it was a tragic reminder of the risks that come with service.

“We certainly have been sort of the victim of several murders in the province of Ontario as well, with regards to some officers within our province in the last six months, so this hits hard when we hear about these things in our neighbouring provinces and through the fellowship of policing,” said Pilon.

“This is a bit of a stark reminder of the risks that we take everyday, and of the job we are saddled to do.”

Mounties gather for the funeral of Edmonton police constables Brett Ryan and Travis Jordan on March 27, 2023. (Laura Krause/CityNews)

Members from 45 different police forces from coast to coast gathered in Edmonton.

“I think it galvanizes the work we do, it’s also nice to see the support from the community,” said Insp. Paul Wozney with the Calgary Police Service. “The blue ribbons are on trees, and it just shows the work that these men and woman do matters, and we just want to do what we can to support them.

“It is a difficult job, there are a lot of issues in our communities that officers have a front row to, but on the flip side, it’s very rewarding work, so whatever we can do to make our communities safer and a better place for people, that’s what we’re trying to do.”

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Wozney says they are all too familiar with what EPS is going through, and says they offered all the support they could with the planning of the funeral procession

“Just a couple years ago we had our own member who was killed on the line of duty, and we had the same support so we certainly wanted to pass it onto EPS members as well.

“The law enforcement community is a very small community, and it is not uncommon for police officers to come from across Canada or the northern United States to come to events like this.”

These types of gatherings have become common in recent months. Six other police officers across Canada have been killed on the job since last September: five in Ontario and one officer in British Columbia.

“I’ve been a police officer now for almost 29 years and I’ve unfortunately been to a lot of these, so it’s important to come out here and represent our own service, but also stand side by side and shoulder to shoulder with other police services when they have the same tragedies,” said Pilon.

Officers gather for the funeral of Edmonton police constables Brett Ryan and Travis Jordan on March 27, 2023. (Laura Krause/CityNews)

All the officers were set to return to their communities after Monday’s funeral to fulfill the oath they shared with constables Jordan and Ryan – to serve and protect.

“Travis and Brett ventured dutifully into a dark and a dangerous moment answering a call when someone in a moment of profound vulnerability, and they made the ultimate sacrifice – their lives – to protect their community,” said EPS Chief Dale McFee.

“In moments like these we must attend not just to the moment, but what it means, and how we all must ensure we don’t continue to gather this way. All of us who lead must take up this challenge together.”