By John Humphrey, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Lakeshore News Reporter
Another shining example of the cooperation and teamwork that exists between the police services of LaSalle and Windsor took place in September when members from both the two services came together to form a team for the Ride to Remember at the end of September.
The Canadian Police Memorial Ride to Remember is an annual cycling event that pays tribute to fallen police and peace officers. Cyclists from various law enforcement agencies ride 700 km from the Ontario Police College in Aylmer to the Ontario Police Memorial in Toronto and then to the National Police and Peace Officers’ Memorial in Ottawa. The Ride to Remember took place from September 25-28.
“This is the first year that I was able to participate as a rider,” said LaSalle Police Service Deputy Chief Jason Woods. “The Ride to Remember has always been an extremely important cause to both honour and raise awareness of police officers from across Canada who have lost their lives in the line of duty.”
Windsor Police Service constable John Atkinson was the most recent local peace officer to pass away in the line of duty on May 5, 2006. He was 37-years-old.
And that the local team was comprised of off-duty police officers from both LaSalle and Windsor made the event even more special in 2024 according to Woods.
“Constable Ryan Hutchison from the Windsor Police Service reached out to me and said that a local team was being put together and I absolutely jumped at the chance to be part of it,” Woods claimed.
The joint five-member LaSalle/Windsor Police Services team ended up insisting of Hutchison, Adam Young and Melanie Kish-Lewis from Windsor and Terry Seguin and Woods from LaSalle with Hutchison, Young and Woods participating as riders and Seguin and Kish-Lewis serving as logistical personnel who were in charge of booking hotel rooms and arranging meals for all participants.
Woods himself is an amateur competitive cyclist, competing in races in Ontario and Michigan in the spring and summer months and had competed in a provincial road race championship this past Labour Day Weekend.
So, he was already physically primed to take part in the Road to Remember.
“The difference between my hobby and the Road to Remember is my hobby consists of racing sprints while the Road consists of grinding out about 200 kms a day for a few days,” he claimed.
The local Road to Remember team biked 205, 195, 185 and 123 kms respectively on the four-day trek from Windsor and LaSalle to the Ontario Police College in Aylmer to the nation’s capital. The first day of the trip for the local officers was to Aylmer.
The riders and other event participants bunked down in hotels at night to envision the optimum rest would be realized to continue on.
“If you are feeling tired or fatigued at some point during the ride, all you have to do is remind yourself of the purpose for the ride itself and that will help you push on,” Woods said. “You never forget why you are out there.”
The trip also did not take the most direct route either, for safety and precautionary reasons.
“The ride was supported by motorcycle officers from police departments from across the province at all times to ensure the safety of the riders,” pointed out Woods. “Intersections were blocked and we had support vehicles following the riders too.”
“We took the back roads mostly and the scenery was absolutely amazing all over,” he continued. “We stayed away from the city centres and saw some of the most beautiful scenery in the province, including a long stretch along the St. Lawrence Seaway.”
Ride to Remember participants were joined by Run to Remember participants on the outskirts of Ottawa and they continued on to Parliament Hill.
The Race to Remember is another annual event comprised of police officer and other police department personnel with the purpose of paying tribute to those officers who have so valiantly given their lives in service of their Community and Country.
The Run to Remember is a 460-kilometre relay that passes through many communities. It begins at the Ontario Police Memorial site in Toronto and finishes at the National Memorial near Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
The stretch ride/run to Parliament Hill were particularly moving moments for Woods and his fellow participants, he claimed.
“We experienced a wide variety of emotions,” he said. “On one hand you were thrilled to make it to the end of the trip but on the other hand you were so energized that you did not want the event to stop.
“And of course we can never forget the reason behind both the Ride and Race to Remember.”
And LaSalle’s Deputy Chief of Police will be back again for the 2025 Ride to Remember.
“I am already committed to taking part again next year and I’m trying to recruit other members of the LaSalle Police Service to come out too,” Woods said. “This is a tremendous event and I’m sure that both the LaSalle and Windsor Police Services will once again and always be well-represented.”
Be the first to comment