First-responders, residents, cadets, Canadian Armed Forces personnel and so many more lined overpasses along Hwy. 401 in a touching tribute as fallen Northumberland OPP Sgt. Brandon Malcolm was escorted from Toronto to Oshawa this afternoon (Thursday, April 30.)
The first-responders procession from the Centre of Forensic Sciences in Toronto to an Oshawa funeral home was heart-wrenching at times – but the public’s outpouring of support in the days following the tragic death of Malcolm has meant so much, shared colleague and Northumberland OPP Const. James Clarke.
Clarke and West Region OPP Sgt. Ed Sanchuk talked intimately through a livestream during the procession along the sacred Highway of Heroes about Malcolm and the impact he had not just in the community, but beyond, which was evident by the numbers that showed up Thursday.
They acknowledged every overpass filled with people and first-responders – every flag, every bowed head, every hand over a heart and every salute along the journey.
And people got to hear more about who Malcolm was beyond the uniform.
No call for help went unanswered – even if it was a call to help with a school bike rodeo on his day off or to help shovel out the detachment in a snowstorm, listeners heard.
People heard Malcolm loved being a police officer and was a widely respected leader, but he’s also being remembered “as a true gentleman.”
MBC was at the overpass in Whitby and heard from residents there who answered the call to honour Malcolm.
The public’s outpouring of support has meant a lot to the policing community, reminding officers they’re not invisible in their grief, listeners heard.
Malcolm’s fellow Golden Helmet members and motorcyclists from Toronto and York police services also took part in the procession.
“Service was not a chapter in Brandon’s life – it was the theme of it,” shared Sanchuk, at one point during the procession. “And when service is the theme of life, it truly shapes everything.
“How a person shows up. How they carry responsibility. How they stand steady for others. How they choose duty, again and again.”
“Some lives are remembered for what they gathered – some lives like Brandon’s are remembered for what they achieved, and some lives like Brandon’s are remembered for what they gave.
“Thank you, Sgt. Malcolm. Thank you for your service. Thank you for your courage and thank you for giving your life in protection of others.”
As previously reported, Malcolm died after a crash on Hwy. 401 in Cobourg Monday evening. Funeral arrangements are said to still be in the early stages.
For residents looking to honour the fallen sergeant, there is an online book of condolences set up, as well as a physical book at the Brighton OPP Detachment. A memorial motorcycle has been set up outside the Cobourg OPP Detachment.
“To Brandon’s family and his fiancé, I want to say thank you for sharing him with us,” added Clarke. “Thanks for your strength, even in this unimaginable loss – know that the Ontario Provincial Police will carry Brandon’s name, his memory and his sacrifice forward …”
(Written by: Sarah Hyatt)
