Hundreds gathered in Ottawa to pay their respects to the firefighters who have fallen in the line of duty for the National Firefighters Memorial Day. Bagpipers played Amazing Grace during the ceremony, and organizers say hundreds of firefighters united from across the country to mark the ceremony at the Canadian Firefighter Memorial at LeBreton Flats. In its 23rd year, Canadian Fallen Firefighters Foundation president David Sheen says the monument has more than 2,200 names etched in its stone, the names of those who have died in the line of duty. On Sunday, 141 more names were officially added and honoured during the sombre ceremony. “Over our altar it says, ‘Never to be forgotten,’” explains Sheen. “We want to make sure that if their loved ones visit here, if the general public comes here, it’s a beautiful space to come. And they can see those names and maybe think about the sacrifices that they made in service to their fellow man.” One of the names of those who have been added is Ron Hegedus, with the Vancouver Fire and Rescue Service. His wife Shelley Hegedus says he was a mentor to those around him, especially fellow firefighters. “He was big on community,” Hegedus told CTV News Ottawa. “He helped not only our community where we lived, but he also wanted to serve for Vancouver because that was the community that raised him.” She says he was diagnosed with cancer, which was triggered by a life as a firefighter, and died at the age of 59 in 2024. He was diagnosed just as he became a captain, she says, and never saw retirement. “I’m so deeply sad and lost without him,” Hegedus said. “But at the same time, I’m just proud. I’m just proud that I was a firefighter’s wife. And especially Ron’s wife.” It’s a job that comes with serious risks, both in the immediate and long-term. Exposure to hazardous conditions can create long-term health effects. Sheen says while there continues to be efforts to help keep firefighters safe with new equipment, “we’re still losing far too many firefighters.” There are 12 cancers officially recognized as occupational cancers directly related to the job. Christina Austin was shocked to find her husband suffered from occupational cancer, saying she learned about it at his funeral last year. On Sunday, Austin and her two sons received a helmet and medallion during the ceremony, which all the 141 firefighters’ families received. “You have a lot of life plans and they’re cut short,” Austin said. “He’s larger-than-life and not having him around feels quite quiet.” Sheen says the ceremony is also about supporting the families in their time of grief, with about 700 firefighters from across the country arriving in Ottawa to march and be at the memorial. “The families have suffered this great loss,” he said. “We try to surround them with people who do understand what they’re going through because it is so impactful.”
