The Canadian Police and Peace Officers’ annual memorial service recognized five police officers and a correctional services officer who died this year.
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Hundreds of police officers and public safety personnel gathered on Parliament Hill in Ottawa as Canadian flags flew at half-mast to mark the Canadian Police and Peace Officers’ annual memorial service.
The memorial ceremony, held Sunday, featured the skirl of bagpipes and a march onto the lawn as attendees honoured six officers who died in the line of duty in 2026.
This year’s service recognized five police officers and a correctional services officer. Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree spoke at the ceremony, describing it as an opportunity to pay respects not only to fallen officers but also to their families.
Anandasangaree said that “Not every police and peace officer makes it home,” adding that for the six officers being honoured, the country remembers “their bravery and sacrifices.”
Among those recognized was Ontario Provincial Police officer Brandon Malcolm, who died in April in a single-vehicle crash. His fellow officer, Tarun Bali, was later killed in June after being fatally struck by a car.
The ceremony also commemorated Toronto police officer Marc Pinizzotto, who was fatally shot two days after Bali’s death. Police had been executing a search warrant related to an alleged “gun-for-hire” scheme in Toronto at the time of Pinizzotto’s death, according to the description provided during the service coverage.
Sûreté du Québec officer Anais Fortin-Cozzens was recognized as well. The memorial acknowledged her death in a car crash.
The service further honoured Montreal police officer Mohamed Benreouane, who was shot and killed in a gunfight. That incident also resulted in the deaths of a civilian bystander and the alleged gunman, as reflected in the circumstances described for the memorial.
The correctional services officer recognized this year was Nicolae Serban. He died in a crash while transporting an inmate, and was included among the six who were memorialized during the service on the Parliament Hill grounds.
The memorial’s format reflects how the sacrifices of officers are recorded and preserved. Since the memorial service was first held in 1978, more than 900 names have been added to glass tablets lining the perimeter wall on Parliament Hill.
The annual service is designed to provide a formal public moment for commemoration at the national level, with the participation of serving officers and senior government representation from Public Safety.
For this year’s honourees, the ceremony served as a single gathering to recognize deaths connected to a range of circumstances, including crashes, traffic incidents, and shootings during operational activity.
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