Highway of Heroes
Yesterday we saw something that was simultaneously uplifting and extremely sad.
We attended Coronation on the weekend (thanks larmer and lanifer for putting us up yet again!) and were driving home on the 401 on Sunday afternoon. For those of you that aren't familiar with it, Highway 401 has been officially designated as the "Highway of Heroes" in support for the fallen members of the Canadian Forces whose funeral processions use that route from the airfield at CFB Trenton (where the military aircraft from Afghanistan land) to the Coroner's Office in Toronto. The name was given because of the spontaneous outpouring of emotion and support from common citizens, who line the route from Trenton to Toronto - they usually converge at highway overpasses, which are festooned with Canadian flags and crammed with emergency vehicles flashing their lights, uniformed personnel (police, fire, Legionnaires, etc) saluting, and just regular folks. The coolest thing about it is that this was never organized or pre-planned - people just show up to pay their respects.
I had seen this apparently uniquely Canadian phenomenon on the news before, but never in person. It's a really moving experience. We started to notice the people gathering at about Pickering, and the crowds just got thicker and thicker for the next 120+ kilometres to Trenton. It took us a while to realize what was going on - that the body of Major Michelle Mendes (the third Canadian female soldier to die in Afghanistan) had returned home, and all of this was in her honour. It was a blustery, drizzly day, but they were out there by the hundreds, maybe thousands, in silent tribute. I hope it was of some comfort to her family and friends following behind in the limousines as part of the procession.
These links aren't specifically related to Major Mendes, but capture the spirit of the Highway of Heroes phenomenon:
www.calgaryherald.com/news/Canada+fallen+heroes+fitting+tribute/1389261/story.html
http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/fullcomment/archive/2007/09/11/letter-a-memorable-trip-on-the-highway-of-heroes.aspx