John Cotter
Canadian Press


Wednesday, March 09, 2005


It will be the largest memorial service ever held for Mounties killed in the line of duty -- a ceremony that will begin with a parade of scarlet and feature four brown Stetsons on four black pillows.

More than 10,000 officers from as far away as New York and Newfoundland and Labrador were streaming into the city Wednesday to prepare for Thursday's national memorial to four Mounties killed last week near Mayerthorpe, Alta.

The massive show of support by people who never met the victims was already helping some RCMP officers deal with the loss of their comrades.

"It is overwhelming. It is like being supported by your own family," said a veteran Mountie taking part in the preparations who declined to be named.

"When you get support and people try to do what they can to make you feel better and to indicate that they are on your side, it really helps."

Along with police, thousands of mourners -- including dignitaries such as Gov. Gen Adrienne Clarkson and Prime Minister Paul Martin -- are to attend the service, which is to be broadcast nationally from the University of Alberta Butterdome.

The families of constables Peter Schiemann, 25, Lionide Johnston, 32, Anthony Gordon, 28, and Brock Myrol, 29, will be the focus of the memorial, which is to include honour guards, a minute of silence, a choir, and the playing of the Last Post by an RCMP bugler.

The ceremony is to begin with scarlet-clad Mounties on horseback leading a parade of 5,000 police officers on a kilometre-long march from a city park to the facility.

There is always gangsters who hang out near my house at night..So I often hear Sirens..The police barely does anything..They jsut drive over and the group spreads..

gangsters go to clubs, not hang out around ur house, and besides, SAN jose is a pretty clean and good city, there are gangster in OAKLAND, not in SAN JOSE

I think the point of this post was to talk about what happened... This hasn't happened since 1850 in Canada. Also goes to show how the gun registry has failed and how things like this could be prevented if people actually did register their firearms.

It should be for hunting only. They should also only register hunting guns to the public...

Then the police don't need guns..Every one has their own gun..

*impacts for noob beating*

whats a gun registry? i seriously don't know

You don't need to know, it's a useless government supported program in Canada.