Canadian Firefighters Memorial Ceremony Postponed in 2020
OTTAWA – For the first time in 17 years, Canadian firefighters who died in the line of duty will be honoured in a ‘virtual’ Canadian Firefighters Memorial Ceremony in 2020, instead of congregating in person on September 13.
Flags, as always, will fly at half-mast that day, which is Firefighters’ National Memorial Day, when all firefighters across Canada are recognized for their sacrifice, dedication, and bravery, particularly the fallen.
“In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, frontline workers, families, and communities confront unprecedented risks,” said David Sheen, president of the Canadian Fallen Firefighters Foundation. “Families are faced with direct risks associated with frontline work while balancing employment and financial changes, home schooling, and vulnerabilities to COVID-19. The Board of Directors felt it was our duty to protect the health and safety of our families and colleagues while upholding our mission to remember, honour and support our fallen.”
Hosted annually by the Canadian Fallen Firefighters Foundation, hundreds of firefighters from each of the provinces and territories typically flock to Ottawa to attend the ceremony in a show of solidarity and commemoration. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, these plans will change, from an in-person gathering at the Canadian Firefighters Memorial in Ottawa, to an online ceremony which will be broadcast through YouTube. Details on the 2020 virtual Memorial will be available closer to the date at www.cfff.ca.
The in-person congregation for the Canadian Firefighters Annual Memorial Ceremony will resume in 2021, on the September 11-12 weekend, with the families from both this year and next taking part.
“To all families, colleagues, sponsors and donors, thank you for your continued remembrance and honour of the fallen along with your unwavering support in keeping everyone safe and healthy, and of the Canadian Fallen Firefighters Foundation,” added President Sheen.
The Canadian Firefighters Memorial, at the corner of Lett Street and the Sir John A. MacDonald Parkway in Ottawa, is a permanent and public commemoration that honours the sacrifice of every Canadian firefighter who has died in the line of duty since 1848.
President Sheen’s video announcement is available here: https://youtu.be/zKtG7P4Z20w