Manitoba Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba

The Honourable Anita R. Neville, P.C., O.M.

Manitoba Police and Peace Officers’ Memorial Service

Remarks by

The Honourable Anita Neville, P.C., O.M.

Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba

POLICE AND PEACE OFFICERS’ MEMORIAL CEREMONY

Memorial Park, Winnipeg

Sunday, September 29, 2024, 11:00 a.m.

(please check against delivery)

 

Fellow Manitobans, welcome to Memorial Park and this annual ceremony of remembrance and gratitude.

As Lieutenant Governor, I wish to acknowledge that this sacred site is located in Treaty One land and in the heartland of the Red River Metis. It is part of a province that is located on the treaty territories and ancestral lands of the Anishinaabe, Anishininew (ANISH-IN-INEW), Cree, Dakota, Dene and Nehetho (NE-HET-HO) Nation – where we are committed to safety, equality and justice for all.

As Manitobans, we respect the spirit and intent of treaties and treaty making and remain committed to working in partnership with First Nations, Metis and Inuit people in the spirit of truth, reconciliation and collaboration.

Since 1998, Canadians have come together each year to express their appreciation of police and peace officers who have died in the course of their service to our communities and our safety.

The men and women who take on the challenges and responsibilities of law enforcement and protection of the others do so knowing that their career choice brings with it a variety of dangers.

They work in unpredictable situations, at all hours and in all conditions. They face individuals who may be armed and desperate or highly volatile.

When we’re advised to take shelter, they run toward the danger – whether that danger is an environmental hazard, a disaster or a person threatening the public safety.

Without this commitment to upholding the law and protecting Canadians from danger, life in our country would be very different.

Canadians are grateful to all those who accept the challenge of protecting lives, rights and property of others. And we mourn those brave men and women who have lost their lives while serving others.

May their service to our country inspire us all to work for a better, more just, healthier Canada.

Thank you. Merci. Meegwich. Shalom