Funeral for slain OPP officer to be livestreamed, with family, police in attendance
Posted January 2, 2023 12:21 pm.
Last Updated January 3, 2023 3:02 pm.
The funeral for the Ontario Provincial Police officer killed last week is set to be held Wednesday morning at an arena in his hometown of Barrie, Ont.
The OPP says the private service for 28-year-old Const. Grzegorz (Greg) Pierzchala will start at 11 a.m. at the Sadlon Arena.
His family and their guests will be joined by members of the OPP, other police services and Canadian Armed Forces members, along with other emergency services personnel and officials.
The funeral is not open to the public, but an in-person broadcast of the funeral is expected to be held at the Caledonia Lions Hall in Haldimand County, where Pierzchala was based with the OPP.
Ahead of the funeral, the OPP say members of the public can observe the funeral procession as it travels from Adams Funeral Home on St. Vincent Street in Barrie to the Sadlon Arena on Bayview Drive.
The procession is scheduled to start around 9:30 a.m. and travel along the following route:
- St. Vincent Street to Wellington Street East
- Wellington Street East to Eccles Street North
- Eccles Street North to Innisfil Street
- Innisfil Street to Essa Road
- Essa Road to Fairview Road
- Fairview Road to Big Bay Point Road
- Big Bay Point Road to Bayview Drive (pedestrians can access the west side of Bayview Drive but not the east side)
Around 9:15 a.m., OPP and those from other services will begin marching from Big Bay Point Road, south on Bayview Drive to the Sadlon Arena. Service members will line Bayview to honour the funeral cortege as it passes by.
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Pierzchala, a former constable at the provincial legislature and member of the Armed Forces, was killed in what police have called an “ambush” attack after he responded to a call for a vehicle in a ditch west of Hagersville, Ont. on Dec. 27.
Randall McKenzie, 25, and 30-year-old Brandi Crystal Lyn Stewart-Sperry each face a charge of first-degree murder in his death.
