News Article
Albertan Honours Fallen Soldier
Bill Trembley, Northumberland News
August 4, 2009
Commissionaire Shauna Colp’s timing is unfortunately perfect.
Cmre. Colp, a member of the Northern Alberta Corp of Commissionaires stationed at CFB Wainwright, planned to present the Brighton Legion with a banner to hang from the County Rd. 30 overpass when a Canadian soldier is repatriated. The presentation, a symbol of support from Cmre. Colp’s unit, was scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 4.
Cmre. Colp was able to display the banner for the first time during the repatriation of Sapper Matthieu Allard and Corporal Christian Bobbitt, who died Saturday after an improvised explosive device detonated near a patrol in the Zhari District of Afghanistan.
“It’s a little weird for me,” said Cmre. Colp, who drove four days from Alberta to present the banner. “This is the day I was going to present it and here I am on the overpass with the banner. It’s a bit surreal.”
Cmre. Colp decided to create the banner that reads ‘Commissionaire Northern Alberta Support Our Troops’ during a Christmas visit to Brighton, the hometown of her fiancé. During the repatriation of Private Michael Freeman, Cmre. Colp and her fiancé drove from Brighton to Toronto to see the overpasses filled with Canadian Forces supporters.
“I videotaped the entire thing, bawling my eyes out,” she said. “The emotions you feel seeing this you don’t get in Alberta.” Cmre. Colp said the civilian tribute to Canada’s fallen soldier’s was “awe inspiring”.
“These people had been standing at these overpasses for hours in the freezing cold,” Cmre. Colp said. She created the banner to show Alberta also supports the Canadian Forces and to say thank you to those who line overpasses on the Highway of Heroes.
“The biggest thing for me was being able to say thank you for being so dedicated and showing their support for our troops,” Cmre. Colp said.
The 1,700 member Northern Alberta Corp of Commissionaires has 20 members – including Cmre Colp – on a military police contract for the Department of National Defence. Cmre. Colp’s section is sending five members to serve in Afghanistan.
“I wanted to make sure this banner was here in case they ever have to take this drive home,” she said. CFB Wainwright is also the training camp for troops headed abroad.
“We are kind of their last stop before they go overseas.”
Brighton Legion President Pamela Sweeny said the banner allows the commissionaires of northern Alberta to pay their respects to fallen soldiers through the Brighton Legion.
“It’s a wonderful tribute to our fallen soldiers from 3,600 kilometres away,” Ms. Sweeny said. “It will allow the family of the fallen to see it’s not just the people of Ontario supporting them, but all of Canada.”
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