THUNDER BAY - Becoming a peace officer is not a choice, but a calling, and for those who answer that call there are heartbreaking reminders of the dangers that come with it through the names of those who have been lost.
“I think it really hits home,” said Thunder Bay Police Service chief, Sylvie Hauth. “You do your job day in and day out, you put on your uniform, go to work and you do your job to the best of your abilities and in terms of your calling. But I think a day like today really makes you reflect and really realize that on some days you may not make it home.”
The Police and Peace Officers National Memorial Day took place on Sunday. A national ceremony has been held in Ottawa for the last 42 years and here in Thunder Bay, members of local services held a memorial service at St. Paul’s Anglican Church.
Thunder Bay Police Service sent six members to participate in the national memorial in Ottawa and members from police services including Wisconsin and Duluth were also in Thunder Bay to participate.
The service is a time to honour the sacrifices of officers and remember those who have paid the ultimate price.
“We want to be here in Thunder Bay to recognize the fallen officers across the country who have lost their lives in the line of duty,” Hauth said.
“I think it’s important for us to take a moment and reflect. We do our work without really thinking about it each and every day and truly the men and women who work for our services are heroes and we have to recognize them as heroes in life and not just in death.”
Thunder Bay Police Service has lost two officers in the line of duty. In January, 1978, Const. John Kusznier was fatally wounded when responding to a call and Const. Joseph Prevett was killed during a training exercise in Gravenhurst, Ont. in May 2014.
Hauth said every peace officer knows the dangers that come with the job and losing someone in the line of duty can have a profound impact on fellow members. But they are also there to help each other through these difficult times, which is part of the calling to serve.
“It is a big family,” she said. “We have a calling and not everybody choses to be a police officer. It is something that when you look at the big picture, we bond together as a service, not only here in Thunder Bay, but across Ontario and across the country.”
