Edmonton held the largest memorial in the history of the RCMP today, while all over Canada people paused to mourn and to show respect.
Thousands of people and members of police forces from the around the world, gathered in Edmonton or services elsewhere in the country.

We as a country have mourned more the past few years than I’ve ever seen.

September 2000. Pierre Elliott Trudeau died and the country stopped to mourn.

September 11, 2001. 200 planes were diverted to the Canadian east coast. Hundreds of people opened up their homes to take in 10 thousand passengers. Hundreds more trained in different skills went to New York City.
Nearly 1/2 million people showed up on Parliament Hill to mourn and show respect.

In April 2002, the Prime Minister, the Governor General and heads of the military stood on the Trenton Base tarmack as four bodies were unloaded from a transport plane. Four men serving in Afganistan were killed by US fire.
I’d never seen flag drapped coffins unloaded from a military plane.

The online book of condolences put up by the Defense ministry received thousands upon thousand of messages of condolence and hope from around the country, around the world.
What struck me deeply were the people lining the roadway from the base. They came to mourn and show respect.

December 26, 2004, a tsunami devestated parts of south east Asia.
A national day of mourning was held in Ottawa. There were not many citizens there, it was broadcast uncut around the country. The diplomatic core and families were front and centre. 11 faith groups represented us.
We mourned.

We Canadians aren’t used to seeing a sea of red serge.
In the day to day of our lives and interactions, we don’t see any of the 20 thousand officers in their dress uniform. A mountie wearing the red serge is rare and ceremonial.
We are such a fractured, regionalized country, barely holding together, with competing self-interests.
There was so much speculation, so much political reaction when four mounties were killed on an Alberta farm last week. It will begin again tomorrow.

But, today, we mourn.
And again, I am utterly, utterly amazed and humbled at citizens showing respect and giving what they can.

People in Edmonton offered up their homes as police arrived into the city Wednesday. So many residents have opened their homes for visiting officers, the RCMP has had to ask them to stop calling.

Ian McKenzie of Ian’s Messy Desk has pictures. The Salvation Army was invited to march with officers to the memorial service today.