Officers remember police killed in the line of duty
Nearly two dozen people, many of them officers, from across Simcoe County came together Sunday to honour police who have lost their lives in the line of duty.
Police forces from across the country have been participating in the 'Run to Remember this week. The event, typically a three-day run from a memorial in Toronto to one in Ottawa, has been scaled back due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"COVID is a very fluid situation, but we're going to continue to do what we can to continue this run, to continue to pay tribute to those officers," says Barrie Police Detective Constable Sarah Bamford who has been participating for seven years. "So hopefully next year, we can get back to that norm and do that run to Ottawa."
Bamford was one of nearly two dozen who gathered at the Nottawasaga OPP Detachment, where participants held the scaled-down version for this area. The Barrie police officer was joined by OPP officers and members from Base Borden, all doing their part to remember the lives lost in the line of duty.
"We may have lost officers from various services, detachments across the country, but at the end of the day, we are one family, and we are here to support each other."
Also participating at the Simcoe event was Erin Ochakovksy, the founder of SOLE, the Survivors of Law Enforcement. Ochakovksy lost her husband, Peel Regional Police Constable James Ochakovksy, more than 10 years ago.
"In the line of duty where they go to work, you say goodbye I'll see you at the end of your shift, and they don't come home; it makes everything kind of go black," Ochakovsky says.
Ochakovksy says gatherings like this are important. While more than a decade has gone by since she lost her husband, she says the connection she has formed as the widow of a fallen officer hasn't wavered, acknowledging events like Saturdays are essential.
"Being able to tell our children that our loved ones will never be forgotten and then show them through the memorial run and through the memorials is something that I'm so grateful for because my son never has to ask what his dad did for a living and how he lost is life was for nothing," she says.
For more information, click here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spring allergy season has begun. Where is it worse in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
Record-breaking N.B. lottery winner kept winning ticket on dresser for nearly a year
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.
Fallen crypto mogul Sam Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years in prison
Crypto entrepreneur Sam Bankman-Fried was sentenced Thursday to 25 years in prison for a massive fraud that unravelled with the collapse of FTX, once one of the world's most popular platforms for exchanging digital currency.
A dog and a bird formed an unlikely friendship. Their separation has infuriated followers
Peggy is a stout and muscular Staffordshire bull terrier, and Molly is a magpie, an Australian bird best known for swooping on humans during breeding season, not for befriending dogs. But in an emotional video posted online, Peggy’s owners announced that the animals had been separated.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.