For the families of our fallen, we stand with you to honour your loved ones who made the ultimate sacrifice or passed away as an active or retired member of our service. We support you with a fire service tradition nearly two centuries old in North America. Many of the names that will be read tomorrow are those we honoured at their funeral services, and it is our honour again to play in remembrance.

We will also remember the tragic events from 23 years ago—the terrorist attacks in the US that took so many promising lives, including our fellow first responders. Some are still succumbing to occupational illnesses from working at Ground Zero in New York.

Tomorrow will be a solemn day for all. Yet, the memorial, organized by the Edmonton Firefighters Memorial Society, will come together beautifully, with us leading the march down the street alongside our valued Honour Guard members, joined by additional pipers, drummers and other uniformed members from the Edmonton region's first responder community.

This march, lead with the tradition of pipes and drums, is not just a symbol of our bond within the fire service but also a tribute to the ongoing sacrifices of our members. May you find comfort in knowing that your loved ones' sacrifices will never be forgotten.

The sound of the Pipes & Drums along with the boots marching on the ground will resonate through tomorrow's memorial, echoing the heartbeat of all of us standing with you during this time of remembrance and reflection.