Edmonton’s police service unveiled its new colours and crest at city hall Thursday — colours that honour those officers who paid the ultimate sacrifice while fighting crime.
In a police ceremony in front of roughly 80 politicians, police officers, and the public, officers unfurled the new flag — referred to as colours — in front of the crowd that was later blessed by Chaplain Kurt Schmidlin and presented to Lt.-Gov. Norman Kwong.
The new colours that will be worn by every police officer in the service will be dark blue with embroidered wild roses and maple leafs inside a gold fringe.
Seven names of fallen officers who have died in the line of duty since 1918 are embroidered around the new crest of the Edmonton Police Service with the new motto, “Integrity, Courage, Community,” in the new colours that reflects Edmonton’s history.
The police service has never had its colours changed to pay tribute to fallen officers until now, something that was 12 years in the making, said Police Chief Mike Boyd.
“It is a very historical and very significant day in the history of our police service,” said Boyd. “This is important for our police service.”
The colours were designed and approved by the Canadian Heraldic Authority in 2004 and it had to be granted approval by Queen Elizabeth II.
“We have a lot of new recruits and we want them to join in on those traditions and to carry on the traditions of the Edmonton Police Service,” Boyd said about the colours.
