Canada’s fallen firefighters remembered during ceremony in Ottawa

Friends, family and first responders gathered in Ottawa Sunday to pay their respects to firefighters, who have made the ultimate sacrifice. Josh Marano reports.

A solemn tribute in Ottawa on Sunday afternoon.

Families and firefighters from across the country gathered at the Canadian Fallen Firefighters Memorial to honour those who lost their lives in the line of duty.

The sound of bagpipes filled the air as the ceremony honoured 140 firefighters, whose names were added to the Canadian Fallen Firefighters Memorial on Lett Street.

For Betty Jane Coles it’s a sombre day, in attendance for her late husband and son, both firefighters who passed within six months of each other.

“I’m here to honour my husband, Brian Coles,” Jane Coles said.

“He was the love of my life. We dated in high school and eventually married. We were married for 56 years, and he wanted to be a firefighter from day one.”

“I was hanging in there, OK, but then, yes, the tears came, and I remembered both my son and my husband,” Jane Coles said. “Very stressful, but it’s an honour to be here.”

The event was hosted by the Canadian Fallen Firefighters Foundation, which Jane Coles says has helped her and her family during this difficult time.

“It has so much support when you lose a loved one, and we lost both of them within a year,” she said. “It’s like a family. They support you; they respect you. They honour my husband and my son, and they just offer so much support.”

Foundation President David Sheen says that is what the foundation is about, not just remembering the sacrifices, but reminding families that those sacrifices will never be forgotten.

“To me personally, it means that we’ve had an opportunity to take these families that have joined us to wrap them in love and comfort and put them in the midst of our family, the Canadian fallen firefighter’s family,” Sheen said.

“They can receive comfort from us and from their peers as they go through their grieving process.”

This marks the 22nd annual celebration of the Canadian Fallen Firefighters Memorial ceremony.

“This is a wall that we used to think would take a long time to fill and, sadly, we’re getting it filled too quickly,” Sheen adds. “It’s presenting new challenges for us, as for space to honour these heroes.”

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