A special remembrance ceremony and dedication took place in Veteran’s Park on Saturday morning, marking the 10th anniversary of the death of Sapper Brian Collier, who was killed while serving in the Canadian Armed Forces in Afghanistan.
Located at 112 Gardiner Dr. in Bradford, just steps from the Collier home, Veteran's Park includes walking paths, a playground, a pergola – and now, unveiled just before Remembrance Day, a new granite memorial inscribed with Collier’s name and the Canadian flag.
The memorial was contributed by the Bradford Volunteer Firefighters Association, which raised money in Collier’s memory.
Volunteer firefighter Charlie Shaw organized the tribute. Invited guests included Bradford firefighters, South Simcoe police, paramedics, veterans, legionnaires, Armed Forces personnel, and the Collier family.
Collier was 24 years old when an improvised explosive device took his life on July 10, 2010.
“Brian was a soldier who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving his country,” said Shaw, emceeing the ceremony. “Today is about recognizing one of our own, a member of our community.”
The stone, a piece of Canadian granite, was donated and delivered by Stonemen’s Valley Inc. of Newmarket. Brian Collier’s Combat Engineer Regiment in Edmonton was asked to assist with the design, to come up with something “that would express Brian’s personality,” said Shaw.
Instead, Shaw said, “They provided me with actual hardware,” including a bronze plaque and Collier’s hat badge. “Everyone who reads it will learn a little more about Brian.”
Before the unveiling, guests stood for the playing of The Last Post, the Lament, and Reveille.
Padre Warren noted that it is not uncommon to commemorate special persons and sacrifice.
“We mark them with something more permanent than a human being; we mark them with stone,” Padre Warren said.
Like others who serve in the Armed Forces, Collier “knew what he was getting into, and he served until the end,” said the padre. The stone stands for “what it means to put others first… to remind us we are all called. We all serve one another.”
Jim and Carol Collier, assisted by Shaw and the president of the Bradford Volunteer Firefighters Association, Jeff Torcato, unveiled the stone.
“Brian’s home was right here in Bradford West Gwillimbury. This was his community,” said York-Simcoe MP Scot Davidson, suggesting that the best way to thank Collier for his sacrifice was to dedicate one's efforts to making Canada a better country, “and living up to the standards that Brian himself valued.”
Davidson added: “This speaks to the sacrifice and service of our armed forces, every day,” urging Canadians to recognize the service and sacrifices made in Afghanistan.
“We don’t want it to become the ‘forgotten war’. We will never forget the sacrifices made in Afghanistan,” he said. “Brian would be so proud of this community – people that do things every day to step up.”
Both he and local MPP Caroline Mulroney brought wreaths of remembrance to the ceremony. Accompanied by the Colliers, the MP and MPP placed the wreaths on either side of the new memorial stone.
Mulroney had praise for Jim and Carol Collier.
“You raised a son with tremendous values and a heart of gold,” she said. “What does being a Canadian mean to you? To me, it means gratitude for being part of a country that values our rights, our freedoms and our way of life.”
“This is a wonderful tribute to Brian Collier and Brian Collier’s family. Brian was a wonderful son of the Colliers, but he was also a son of Bradford West Gwillimbury,” said Mayor Rob Keffer. “This is a special moment.”
Also attending was Capt. Paul Martin, and members of 32 Combat Engineer Regiment, a military reserve out of Toronto, standing in for Brian’s own 1 Combat Regiment, whose members were unable to attend due to COVID-19 restrictions.
“We didn’t know Brian, but we have respect for all of the fallen,” said Martin, speaking of the 158 personnel who were killed while serving in Afghanistan, as well as all who returned. “Their efforts allowed us to live safe and productive lives over here.”
After the benediction and the national anthem, there was one more salute: a fly-by of a Lockheed C-130 Hercules from Trenton, carrying the Canadian flag.
Carol Collier thanked the volunteer firefighters for their tribute, noting that Brian had a longtime connection with the local fire department.
“When he was five, he was in the Santa Claus Parade with the volunteer firefighters. It was one of his happiest days,” she said. “He would have loved to have been a volunteer firefighter. It’s the same camaraderie, the same way of life.”
Shaw thanked Stonemen’s Valley for the stone, The Flag Shop in Thornton for the loan of three flagpoles, and the military, for its support at the event and ongoing contributions to the country.
