CPA ACP

The murder of Ottawa rookie Cst. David Kirkwood on July 11, 1977 , launched a response that, today, has become the nationally recognized ceremony honouring police and peace officers killed in the line of duty. Following Kirkwood ’s senseless killing, Ottawa police officers vowed to keep, his memory alive and to ensure that the magnitude of his sacrifice and that of others like him, would never be forgotten by Canadians.

Accordingly, on Sunday, September 24, 1978 , a special service and tribute was held on Parliament Hill. The site selected was Parliament, the place where laws are made that directly impact on police officer safety and, ultimately the quality of life for us all. Following that first ceremony, a number of features have become tradition and, at the same time, some modifications to the event have occurred as well.

The ceremony was expanded to honour other police officers murdered in the line of duty and this criterion of inclusion was itself modified years later to include all officers killed in the line of duty. This current criterion is applied retroactively, and names of officers killed in the line of duty from years gone by, are now being added to the Memorial stone. The original ceremonies were limited to police and correctional officers killed but that criterion was expanded in 1995 to include all peace officers so that all areas of law enforcement are now included in one single ceremony.