Governor General to Dedicate New National Monument In Honour of Canadian Firefighters

OTTAWA --  Canada’s newest national monument – built to commemorate the honour and sacrifice of every Canadian firefighter who died in the line of duty since 1848 -- will be officially dedicated by His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada.

His Excellency will be joined by Robert Kirkpatrick, President of the Canadian Fallen Firefighters Foundation (CFFF), Russell Mills, President of the National Capital Commission (NCC), hundreds of firefighters across Canada, and the public, to open the new Canadian Firefighters Memorial at the corner of Wellington and Lett Streets in Ottawa, Sunday, September 9, 2012, at 10:00 a.m.

The Governor General will join three surviving family members of fallen firefighters to review the commemorative wall of Canada bearing the name of every fallen firefighter engraved over the province he died in.

Accompanying the Governor General will be the great-great grandson of volunteer firefighter Frederick Lepper of Toronto who died in 1858; the Saskatchewan-born son of Fire Chief Royden Taylor who died in Caronport in 2008, and the young daughter of Station Chief Robert Thibert of Chatham, Ontario who died in 2009.

The dedication of the Canadian Firefighters Memorial will pay tribute to visual artist and novelist Douglas Coupland who joined creative efforts with Mary Tremain, partner of PLANT Architects. Together they designed this poignant memorial that blends exquisite sculpture and landscape architecture to create a moving panorama of commemorative and public art for all Canadian firefighters, their families and their communities.

This long-awaited ceremony is hosted by the CFFF in collaboration with the NCC, who provided the land the Memorial rests on. Following the dedication ceremony, twelve firefighters who lost their lives in the line of duty will be added to the 2012 honour roll and their surviving family members will be awarded ceremonial medals – at this, the inaugural ceremony of the new Canadian Firefighters Memorial.

Media Information:

Parking for media is available on the north side of Wellington Street, across from the monument.
For a detailed script and photographic access, please contact:
Kathryn Hendrick
Canadian Fallen Firefighters Foundation/Communications
khendrick@rogers.com; 416 277 6281

About the Canadian Fallen Firefighters Foundation (CFFF)
The CFFF is a registered charitable organization dedicated to honouring the memory of Canada’s fallen firefighters. It comprises members of the Canadian Fire Service and other interested citizens who volunteer their time. For information regarding the new Canadian Firefighters Memorial, please visit: www.cfff.ca