Police officers, peace officers and military police gathered on Parliament Hill Sunday to honour six members who died in the line of duty in 2026.
The 49th annual Canadian Police and Peace Officers’ Memorial brought together hundreds of uniformed personnel, dignitaries and bereaved families for a solemn ceremony on the Hill’s west lawn.
Canadian flags were lowered to half-mast as officers marched to the ceremony accompanied by police bands and the sound of bagpipes.
Members of the Canadian Forces Military Police joined municipal, provincial and federal policing partners for the national observance.
“Each year, the Police and Peace Officers’ National Memorial Day serves as a solemn reminder of the courage, dedication and sacrifice demonstrated by police and peace officers who gave their lives in the service of others,” the military police said in a statement.
“Their commitment continues to inspire those who wear the uniform.”
This year’s ceremony recognized five police officers and one correctional officer:
- Ontario Provincial Police Sgt. Brandon Malcolm
- Ontario Provincial Police Const. Tarun Bali
- Sûreté du Québec Sgt. Anaïs Fortin-Cozzens
- Toronto Police Service Const. Marc Pinizzotto
- Montreal police Const. Mohamed Lamine Benredouane
- Correctional Officer Nicolae Serban
Their names were added to the Honour Roll tablets at the National Peace Officers’ Memorial Pavilion near Parliament Hill’s Centre Block.
Malcolm died in a single-vehicle collision in April. Bali was fatally struck by a vehicle in June.
Pinizzotto was shot and killed two days later while executing a search warrant in Toronto as part of an investigation into an alleged contract-killing scheme.
Fortin-Cozzens died in a vehicle collision, while Benredouane was killed during an exchange of gunfire in Montreal.
Serban died in a collision while transporting an inmate.
Eight Canadian police and peace officers have died in the line of duty so far in 2026. The families of two officers requested that the addition of their loved ones’ names be deferred until the 2027 ceremony.
Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree said the annual gathering also recognizes the families who carry the lasting consequences of an officer’s death.
“Not every police and peace officer makes it home,” he said during the ceremony. “For the six officers we’re honouring today, we remember their bravery and sacrifices.”
The first national memorial service was held in 1978 and honoured 14 officers. The event was established following the killing of Ottawa police Const. David Kirkwood, a young officer who was fatally shot while helping execute a warrant.
What began as a local tribute gradually developed into a national day of remembrance for officers killed while serving their communities.
The permanent memorial site on Parliament Hill was inaugurated in 1994. Four years later, the federal government formally proclaimed the final Sunday of every September as Police and Peace Officers’ National Memorial Day.
More than 900 names are now inscribed on the memorial’s glass Honour Roll tablets, representing officers from policing, corrections and other law-enforcement agencies across Canada.
Before Sunday’s main service, the names on the entire Honour Roll were read aloud at the memorial pavilion. Officers then marched from the Supreme Court of Canada to Parliament Hill for the national ceremony.
“I am honoured to join with Canadians in paying tribute to our countries’ police and peace officers.
Canada is renowned for advocating social justice and the fundamental rights protected by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Our collective well-being depends on the trust we place in one another, on our institutions and our commitment to the rule of law.
Across the country, police and peace officers defend our communities and that which we hold dear: safety, security, freedom from fear. In their pursuit of justice, they often place themselves at great risk—and, for some, pay with their own lives.
I recognize the sacrifices made by those who choose to serve, and who have done so with honour and bravery. To all those who don the badge and uniform, I express my deepest gratitude for your service, professionalism and commitment to excellence. And I stand with your families, who encourage, show patience, adapt and share in the challenges you face. ” – Governor General Arbour.
Similar ceremonies were held across the country, including at provincial memorials in Alberta, British Columbia and Newfoundland and Labrador.
For the families gathered in Ottawa, the ceremony represented more than the addition of names to a national monument. It was a public promise that the people behind those names, and the sacrifices they made, would continue to be remembered.
“We remember. We honour. We will never forget,” the Canadian Forces Military Police said.
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