'We all stand together': City rallies at Edmonton police regimental funeral
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As the city gathered in Downtown Edmonton on Monday to mourn two fallen police officers, one word echoed from observers watching throughout the core — “sacrifice.”
Hundreds rallied on Monday at the regimental funeral and procession for Travis Jordan and Brett Ryan, Edmonton police constables who were shot and killed just before 1 a.m. on March 16 while responding to a family violence call at the Baywood Park apartment complex in a northwest city neighbourhood.
Standing sombre amid flashing police cruisers and blue ribbons tied along the procession path at 104 Avenue and 105 Street, Edmontonian Roland Gehrke told Postmedia he came with his wife and extended family to support Edmonton police in light of the tragedy.
As the father of a daughter who serves as a police officer, he said the constables’ deaths hit close to home.
“Every day they put on their uniforms and go out not knowing if they’re going to come back,” he said of police. “They put their own lives at risk, and their families are at home worried about their safety.”
‘Here to honour their sacrifice’
Before the procession reached Rogers Place arena at about noon, thousands of police officers from across Canada gathered at Alberta’s legislature building under breezy, bright, cloudless skies for the service.
More than 1,200 members of the Edmonton Police Service (EPS) were expected to attend the funeral at Rogers Place, joining first responders and emergency services personnel from around Alberta and across the country who marched in a procession that departed from the legislature building at about 11:45 a.m.
Officers from police services from as far away as Surrey, B.C., and Halifax, N.S., gathered on the south side of the legislature’s south grounds ahead of the march Downtown, most of them congregating around the Pillar of Strength — a flame-topped monument to sworn Alberta peace officers who were killed in the line of duty.
“It’s important we are here to honour their sacrifice,” said Michelle Burns, who looked on as the procession passed in front of the Queen Elizabeth II building on the northeast corner of the grounds.
Closer to the arena, flags outside MacEwan University flew at half staff as crowds lined both sides of 104 Avenue, east of 105 Street, where two Edmonton fire trucks extended ladders to hang a pair of Maple Leafs above the procession route.
‘We all stand together’
Both the funeral and local turnout served as sobering reminders to the risks police and other first responders face on the job, said Kristy Wood, who was watching the procession from the southeast corner of Rogers Place.
“It’s overwhelming, and just so lovely to see so many service workers come together — be a real unified part of such a wonderful city — and how strong we all stand together,” she said. “It makes you think about the sacrifice that these men and women do to keep our city safe.”
With a husband in the Edmonton fire service, she joined members of the department to offer condolences and support for the families of the victims as well as city police.
“It’s just very emotional,” she said, fighting back some of her own feelings to share her thoughts. “You know, seeing your loved ones leave every day — it’s a huge sacrifice.”
Two hearses bearing the constables’ names and regimental numbers, and flanked by rows of marching officers, followed dozens of police motorcycles leading the procession. A column of officers, soldiers, sheriffs and representatives from many other services followed on foot, marching to the beat of pipe and drum players throughout the train.
The instruments and footsteps echoed from the legislature grounds to Rogers Place as onlookers braved windy and chilly weather to bear witness before trickling into Ice District Plaza, across the avenue from the arena, as well as city hall farther east — designated public viewing areas for a live stream of the service.
‘A horrible thing to happen’
But only about 160 remained in the plaza by the time the funeral service started, shortly before 1:30 p.m., most of them huddled around a fire pit near the centre of the plaza.
Meanwhile, about a dozen people watching the live stream in the city hall atrium rose from their seats at about the same time.
Marcella Sejarac arrived early Monday to watch the procession. She was moved by the strong show of police support from outside the city and said she felt “extreme sorrow” for the two officers’ families.
“This was a disaster,” Sejarac said. “This was a horrible thing to happen. These people gave their lives to protect us. You think of all of those (officers) who are still there … they know (giving up their lives) could be a possibility. I respect them.”
Cindy Mandin, who tuned in at around 11:30 a.m., said she came because she knows police officers and has been personally protected by them.
“Thank goodness for the police, because whenever things go wrong, that’s when you want a police officer,” she said. “I think in the line of duty, a lot of times, we don’t realize how dangerous it is.”
Both women were grateful the city made the venue available to watch the public procession and private funeral for people who, like them, find it difficult to stand for long periods of time.
Like many in attendance both in and outside of the arena, Edmonton Police Commission chairman Erick Ambtman was wearing a black and blue EPS ribbon during a brief stop at city hall Monday morning before the service started. He said he’s been reflecting on the grief he and others in the city are going through.
While glad to see a strong show of public support as he watched the procession wind through the city’s core, he said the deaths of the constables serve as a “wake-up call” for the commission.
“We rarely have to deal with something like this, and that reality that we’re going to be hiring hundreds more officers who are going to be putting themselves in this position every day,” he said. “Officer safety means something different than a week ago.”
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