The National Memorial Ride is a motorcycle procession to the newly created Canadian National Military Cemetery in Ottawa, organized by Canadian military veterans, families, friends and supporters. The National Memorial Ride Corporation (NMRC) was established to organize this event on behalf of Veteran riders and to raise charitable funds to help with veteran long term care homes and to help integrate younger wounded solders back into society. It is a Canadian federally registered non-profit corporation. [1]
The first National Memorial Ride took place on June 6, 2009, at the National Military Cemetery located at the Beechwood Cemetery in Ottawa, Canada.[2] The ride was attended by 328 registered motorcycle riders. Among the riders was Pierre Lemieux, Member of Parliament for Glengarry—Prescott—Russell.[3] This was a notable event in the National Capital and by extension Canada.
Preparation
editFor the past six years Canadian Military Veterans and their supporters have tried to get the approval to conduct this ride without success.
In order to conduct this ride, the Beechwood Cemetery had to agree to be the only cemetery in Canada allowing a motorcycle procession onto its grounds. Then Department of National Defence, who owns the Canadian National Military Cemetery, had to agree to this service. Veterans Affairs Canada also has a role to play in the conduct of the ride and service. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission also had to grant permission for this ride to take place as it circled a Commonwealth grave yard. As this event uses National Capital Commission Parkways, they needed to grant permission to allow a motorcycle procession on their roads. The last hurtle was to get the City of Ottawa to approve the event so that a Police Services escort could be provided.
What had been the problem over the past 6 years was getting all the partners to be in agreement to get this ride its permits. The key stimulus to this coming together this year, was the passing in the Canadian Parliament a law [1] proclaiming the National Military Cemetery would be located in Beechwood. That declaration by the Government of Canada was vital to get the many competing partners to look at granting permission for this ride and Memorial service.
Participants
editNMRC is not affiliated with any riding club, but had members from the following clubs take part in this ride:
- The Canadian Army Veteran Motorcycle Units (CAV) was the largest veterans' organization in attendance, as it is their National Ride.
- Veterans MC Canada attended
- The Veterans Army Motorcycle Club attended
- Base Petawawa Motorcycle Club
- The Blue Knights
- The Red Knights
- The Harley Owners Group of Eastern Ontario
- Canadian Military Motorcycle Association AMMC
- Canadian Motorcycle Cruisers Ottawa
- Capital City Biker's Church
- Canadian Dispatch Rider Motorcycle Club
Future events
editThe National Memorial Ride now has a permanent standing committee that plans and coordinates with the Department of National Defence, the Canadian Forces, Veterans Affairs Canada, the National Capital Commission, the City of Ottawa, the Cumberland Township Agricultural Society (Navan Fairgrounds), and the Beechwood Cemetery Foundation.
The National Memorial Ride will be conducted every year on the first Saturday in June to help commemorate the Canadian D-Day landings on Juno Beach and elsewhere in Normandy, France, that took place on June 6, 1944.
References
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