One of the most poignant symbols to come out of Canada's decade in Afghanistan is the Highway of Heroes.
Photojournalist Pete Fisher knows the 172-kilometre stretch of Ontario road between Trenton and Toronto all too well.
Since its official unveiling as the Highway of Heroes in 2007, the route has been used to transport the bodies of repatriated fallen soldiers from CFB Trenton to the coroner's office in downtown Toronto.
Fisher has been covering the tragic repatriations since 2002, when he started photographing the sombre ceremonies for the Cobourg newspaper where he worked at the time.
What he saw in his years photographing the soldiers and the supporters who invariably turned out to see them inspired Fisher to create a book that captures their pain and pride.
"You can never heal from this, I believe," Fisher told CTV's Canada AM co-host Beverly Thomson in a recent interview on the subject of his new book, "Highway of Heroes: True Patriot Love."
According to Fisher, one message dominates the collection of 100 photos: "The country shares their grief with them."
And that, he said, is a sentiment that bears sharing with the families of Canada's fallen soldiers, so that they know they are not alone.
"People stood for hours to wait for these processions to go by for just 15 seconds. But they did it religiously," he said.
"People have told me this has changed the province. It's changed the way we are because there is so much patriotism with this."
Fisher has changed too, since his father tipped him off in April of 2002, that the bodies of four fallen soldiers were to be driven along Highway 401.
Because they would pass by the home where he lived, Fisher set out to see the convoy and take his first photo of Canada's fallen military heroes from a bridge in Port Hope.
A couple of months later, inspired by a newspaper article featuring himself and Bob Jenkins, who was quoted referring to a "highway of heroes phenomena," Fisher was asked to pursue a formal name change.
Fisher went on to write an article that inspired a petition to the MInister of Transportation. By September of that year, the province approved the new name and set about erecting signs along the route.
All these years later, Fisher has now authored a 185-page book that pays tribute to all the fallen heroes that have traveled the route since his first encounter in 2002.
"Each picture means so much," Fisher said.
Fisher's book is filled with images of stately limos driving along the Highway of Heroes, the cars carrying the mothers, fathers and relatives of soldiers killed in the line of duty.
Fisher's book also features conversations with these family members about their experiences on the Highway of Heroes.
"All these families were so amazing," said Fisher.
"In their worst moment of sadness, there they are in these limousines screaming 'thank you' to the people on these bridges. But it was reciprocal. The people on these bridges were thanking them," he said.
Fisher believes that kind of exchange has changed the country and its citizens.
"One officer told me that in his 25-year career he has never seen this country come together with so much patriotism," Fisher said.
"You can't be removed," he explained. "It affects you, be it media or anybody."
