9/11, Ottawa firefighters honoured
Two memorials were held in Ottawa Friday to honour local fallen firefighters and those firefighters who lost their lives during the Sept. 11 attacks.
More than 150 of Ottawa's firefighters and police officers marched down Laurier Avenue Friday morning to honour the 343 firefighters who died in the Sept. 11 attacks.
The group ended its march gathering at Ottawa City Hall for a memorial attended by David Jacobson, the U.S. ambassador to Canada.
Jacobson gave Ottawa's fire chief a small piece of metal from the twin towers, which will be placed at the Ottawa firefighter memorial.
He also praised the outpouring of Canadian support in the aftermath of Sept. 11.
"Shortly after Sept. 11, nestled among the cards and the flowers and the teddy bears outside my embassy, someone left a firefighter's jacket," Jacobson told the crowd, "And written on that jacket was a thank you to firefighters who had lost their lives in New York.
"It said: 'You rushed in so that so many others could rush out.'"
Later Friday, Ottawa Fire Chief John deHooge stepped to the podium to honour all those firefighters who lost their lives in the line of duty.
DeHooge also handed flowers and certificates to families of those that died, including widow Joyce Carruthers.
Sitting in the front row, she held back tears thinking of her husband who died in 1997 from a heart attack while off duty. She also recalled her campaign to have her husband's efforts remembered by his peers.
"Since it's taken 14 years to recognize him in the line of duty, I'm just happy he's been acknowledged this way. It feels wonderful," she said.
Ottawa's fire department band closed the ceremony with a tribute song, which is called "Bring Him Home."
A national memorial will also be held Sunday on Parliament Hill to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the terrorist attacks.
