Memory of fallen Saskatchewan officers honoured in Regina
Saskatchewan police and peace officers who gave their lives in the line of duty were honoured Sunday, Sept. 25 in Regina.
This marks the 18th annual Saskatchewan Police & Peace Officers Memorial. The event started with a parade down Albert Street from the Royal Saskatchewan Museum to the legislative building. A crowd gathered outside the legislative building for a ceremony honouring fallen officers.
Larry Schrader was among those gathered for the ceremonies. He lost his father, Sgt. Robert Schrader with the RCMP, on Oct. 9, 1970.
His father was 42 years old at the time, and it was the day before Schrader's 16th birthday.
"I felt I was cheated," said Schrader. "At 16, that's a pretty impressionable time in your life. I didn't get a chance for my dad to be there for me and kind of kick my butt when I needed it."
Although he was once bitter over losing his father, he never wishes his father had chosen a different career path.
"I wish I could've followed in his footsteps a little better, my eyesight wasn't good enough to get me into the force. I couldn't see my dad doing anything else," said Schrader.
Schrader tries to use this experience for something positive by helping and comforting others who have lost loved ones in the line of duty.
"It's a difficult memory, of course, losing a loved one," said Cpl. Greg Doell with the RCMP. He lost his brother Murray Doell, a conservation officer who passed in a helicopter crash. He was working to evacuate the area during a fire in northern Saskatchewan back in 1990.
Although the risks of his job are different, losing a loved one helped Doell reflect on his own career.
"I'm very grateful and thankful to be where I am today. There's many who have been not as fortunate and have given their lives in the line of duty," said Doell.
"There's not just that, but injuries and mental health issues, and things like that. So I hope this serves as a reminder to people what the officers go through to serve their country and communities."
