A particular ceremony was held in Kitchener Sunday to honour the firefighters who’ve died within the line of obligation.
A procession made its manner down Queen Avenue to the Fallen Firefighter Memorial in Civic Centre Park, the place household, mates and colleagues gathered to pay their respects to those that served and sacrificed.
“We admire them, we cherish the work that they did, we maintain you in our hearts at this time and all the time,” one of many audio system informed the gang.
Hearth helmets encompass the monument devoted to Kitchener firefighters.
An 18th helmet was added on Sunday – a tribute to Michael D. Pearce who died in 2021.
His spouse and daughter had been on the ceremony for the disclosing.
“He’ll all the time be right here watching over [his daughter], enjoying within the park and hopefully, carry again good recollections,” Sarah Deter, Pearce’s widow, stated. “All people that knew him will be capable of stroll by that helmet and see his title.”
Pearce was not solely a husband and father, but additionally a brother to members of the Kitchener Hearth Division after serving the group for greater than a decade.
“Our hearth departments are a giant household,” defined Chief Robert Gilmore. “We take a look at it as an prolonged household.”
Whereas these native heroes are gone, they’re positively not forgotten.
“[Pearce] cherished the fireplace division,” stated Deter. “He joined the fireplace division to assist individuals and he gave every single day to have the ability to do this.”