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About 300 runners and 185 cyclists finished the 22nd annual National Peace Officer's Memorial in Ottawa, honouring seven officers who died in the line of duty in the past year.
About 300 runners arrived in Ottawa on Saturday to complete a three-day memorial run from Toronto in honour of police officers who died in the line of duty.
National Police Memorial Event
They joined about 185 cyclists for the conclusion of the 22nd annual National Peace Officer's Memorial, which started Thursday in Toronto and ended at Parliament Hill. The event brought police service members from across the country together for a shared act of remembrance. Participants paid their respects to officers lost across Canada. In the last year, seven police officers have died in the line of duty in Canada.
The fallen include Toronto police Const. Marc Pinizzotto, OPP Const. Tarun Bali and OPP Sgt. Brandon Malcolm.
The memorial comes the same week Belleville police Const. Jeff Smith was critically injured when a gunman opened fire while he was stationed outside the Sons of Jacob Synagogue in that city. OPP Sgt. Brian Hodgins said the event is about honouring sacrifice.
Runners Cyclists and Ultimate Sacrifice
We are here to remember those who have made that ultimate sacrifice, before us and the line of duty, he said. Runners covered about 460 kilometres in a relay-style race from Toronto to Parliament Hill. The cyclists began Wednesday at the Ontario Police College in Aylmer, Ont. Over four days, they rode nearly 800 kilometres to Parliament Hill.
It was Det. Paul Kent's eighth year participating in the Ride to Remember. He said the event is meaningful for him and other officers. I remember all the officers that have fallen but also remember the officers that had close calls, Kent said.
I remember the officers that actually made it every year. This is a celebration of us making it through another year, myself included. Kent has been a police officer for more than 21 years, serving with the Hamilton Police Service and Halton Regional Police Service. Policing is a very difficult job on so many different levels and it is so deeply meaningful to me, he said.
Officer Reflections and Remembrance
I hope I can continue to do this year after year after year, to remember my colleagues in honour of them and honour the ones that are here. It has been a journey, but here I am, happy to be here. I am happy to have the ability to do this. Laurie Mccann, a Peel Regional Police officer, has taken part for 13 years.
She said the event offers a chance to connect and reflect. I have been doing this for 13 years. It is great to talk to people, reflect and talk about our fallen officers, Mccann said. It is the families.
We come here and see the families of the fallen and how much this means to them. Karen Clemons and her son attend the ceremony every year to support her husband, a retired police officer, and the many officers still serving. They are doing what I know I could not do. They are brave, they are strong, Clemons said.
Parliament Hill Ceremony Honours Fallen Officers
They go out there and they protect us and we need them. The memorial concluded with a ceremony at Parliament Hill, where participants and families gathered to remember the fallen and recognize officers who survived close calls. The annual event continues to draw police personnel from multiple services, underscoring the risks of the job and the importance of community support.
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CTVToronto:Runners complete memorial run from Toronto to Ottawa in honour of fallen police officers 
CP24:Runners complete memorial run from Toronto to Ottawa in honour of fallen police officersThis story was compiled and edited by the HeadTopics newsroom and HT AI from the reports above.
Police Officers Killed In Line Of Duty Toronto To Ottawa Memorial Run Ride To Remember Fallen Officers Canada Fallen Police Officers Parliament Hill Ceremony
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