OTTAWA — Canadian flags were at half-mast and the skirl of bagpipes rung out as hundreds of police officers marched onto the lawn on Parliament Hill to honour those who have fallen in the line of duty. The Canadian Police and Peace Officers’ annual memorial service on Sunday recognized five police officers and a correctional services officer who died this year. Ontario Provincial Police officer Brandon Malcolm died in a single-vehicle crash in April while his colleague Tarun Bali was fatally struck by a car in June. Two days after Bali was killed, Toronto police officer Marc Pinizzotto was fatally shot while executing a search warrant related to an alleged “gun-for-hire” scheme in Toronto. The ceremony also commemorated Sûreté du Québec officer Anais Fortin-Cozzens who died in a car crash, and Montreal police officer Mohamed Benreouane, who was shot and killed in a gunfight that also claimed the lives of a civilian bystander and the alleged gunman. Nicolae Serban, a correctional services officer who died in a crash while transporting an inmate, was also recognized. Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree said the ceremony is a chance to pay respects to fallen heroes, as well as their families who “paid the ultimate price for that sacrifice.” “Not every police and peace officer makes it home,” Anandasangaree said at the ceremony. “For the six officers we’re honouring today, we remember their bravery and sacrifices.” Since the memorial service was first held in 1978, over 900 names have been added to glass tablets that line the perimeter wall on Parliament Hill. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 27, 2026. The Canadian Press
