Wednesday, September 2, 2020

A Call To Duty: Salute To A Brotherhood

I mentioned before the end of the month that I'd come down to the Lebreton Flats area to photograph two monuments. This is the other one, across the street from the National Holocaust Monument. The Canadian Firefighters Memorial commemorates fallen firefighters from across the country. Also titled We Were There, it features a large statue of a firefighter beside a pole, pointing to a wall adorned with names of Canadian firefighters who have given their lives in the line of duty or through workplace related illnesses. Landscaping around the memorial includes plants, shrubs, and trees that tend to flourish following forest fires.


Names are inscribed by province and territory, where the firefighter was serving at the time of their death. Each year more names are added. A ceremony is usually held each September on the second Sunday. This year because of Covid, the ceremony has been postponed, and so the new names of this year and next year will all be commemorated during the 2021 ceremony. Family members of fallen firefighters are included in what is an emotional service of remembrance. I've attended several times now.


At another site entrance, the Firefighters Prayer is included on a plaque.


I finish with these two views.

36 comments:

  1. Hello,
    A wonderful memorial to the fallen firefighters. They are heroes! Take care, enjoy your day!

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  2. We have friends of a sort who live right next to that park.

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  3. We need to be thankful for such brave man and now women, too.
    I am thankful, though, Hubby now quit as he´s too old. He was but a volunteer, but every time I heard the sirens... I was in terror.

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  4. Seems like half the continent goes up in flames each year of late.

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  5. ...here in the countryside we have volunteer firefighters, such brave and dedicated individuals.

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  6. The fallen firefighters are the real heroes, they are souls who went through the fire to save other lives!

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  7. A wonderful memorial and tribute to the firefighters who sacrificed their lives in line of duty.

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  8. I attended one of the ceremonies at the Ontario Firefighters memorial and it was indeed very emotional.

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  9. Great to see a memorial to firefighters. My youngest son used to be a wildland firefighter in the national forests of Colorado and New Mexico. As a mother, I was really anxious, though of course he took all safety precautions. But fire has always been more powerful than people estimate. I'm glad he's working in a high school these days.

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  10. An important event to attend. A wonderful tribute to brave people.

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  11. That's a major memorial. It's important that we remember these important brave people.

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  12. Prayers to all Firefighters
    Beautiful monument

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  13. Great statue and memorial to firefighters.

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  14. A very nice memorial tribute to the firefighters. I really like the sculpture too.

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  15. A beautiful memorial to the firefighters.

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  16. William - one of my brothers'-in-law was a fireman, and his son is still serving, so I have a very special place in my heart for the fire service. Thanks for this fine memorial!

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  17. A list of brave men who all left this earth too soon.

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  18. @Francisco: thank you.

    @Eileen: I agree.

    @Anvilcloud: I met fellow blogger Stewart, aka Furry Gnome, at a ceremony here. His son's name is on the wall, having had died during duties as a fire bomber pilot fighting a forest fire in BC.

    @Iris: I've known a couple of fire fighters myself.

    @David: it seems that way.

    @Tom: that's common in Canada too.

    @Ella: quite true.

    @Nancy: it is indeed.

    @RedPat: Amazing Grace with bagpipes always gets to me.

    @Marie: it really is.

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  19. @Barbara: it is a calling.

    @Agnieszka: thank you.

    @Shammickite: I agree.

    @Red: it is, yes.

    @Sharon: I think so.

    @Maywyn: definitely.

    @Sami: I agree.

    @Susie: it was all well thought out.

    @Bill: it certainly is.

    @Angie: thank you.

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  20. Another worthy well done monument Ottawa

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  21. Wonderful memorial to brave men and women.

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  22. When my mum's family left Russia, half the cousins went to Australia and half to Canada - although not to Ottawa.

    So spouse and I visited the Holocaust Memorial by ourselves. We found the space below very confined and dominated by ugly concrete... but that was exactly the purpose, I suppose. Are high school students taken to the Memorials in organised tours?

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    Replies
    1. That one is quite appropriate to its subject. Both of these memorials are very close to the War Museum, so it wouldn't surprise me if school groups come across the street and visit them.

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  23. Awesome tribute to the firefighters and great photos ^_^

    Live each moment with love,

    A ShutterBug Explores
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

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  24. So sad to think new names have to be added each year, they are so brave 💙

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