Hundreds of members of the police community from across North America lined the streets of Barrie Wednesday morning to honour fallen police officer Grzegorz ‘Greg’ Pierzchala as a motorcade made its way to a local arena for the rookie officer’s funeral
Pierezchala, an OPP constable wih the Haldimand County detachment, was killed in the line of duty on Dec. 27 just outside of Hagersville, a town roughly 45 kilometres south of Hamilton
Earlier that day, Pierzchala, who grew up in Barrie, learned he’d successfully completed his 10-month probationary period. While working his first solo shift, he stopped to check out a vehicle in the ditch and was fatally shot
A 25-year-old man and 30-year-old woman have each been charged with one count of first-degree murder
On Wednesday, starting at about 9:15 a.m., OPP officers along with other attending services’ members began marching from Big Bay Point Road, south on Bayview Drive, over to Sadlon Arena at 555 Bayview Ave. They were positioned along Bayview Drive to honour Pierzchala’s funeral cortege as it passed by
The official procession got underway around 9:30 a.m. and travelled from Adams Funeral Home at 445 St. Vincent St. to the local arena where a private funeral service for the rookie officer will be held starting at 11 a.m
It was a sombre, moving moment as heavy rain fell and thousands of people stood in quiet reverence for the late police officer, whose casket was then slowly carried into Barrie’s Sadlon Arena by 10 pallbearers
Pierzchala’s family and guests along with members of the OPP, the Canadian Armed Forces, and other police and emergency services and officials are expected to attend the service, which will be livestreamed on the OPP’s social media platforms
People in Haldimand County are invited to attend an in-person broadcast at the Caledonia Lions Community Centre. That site will be open to the public starting at 10:30 a.m
The visitation and internment for Pierzchala are also not open to the public
Barrie residents as well as those visiting the city should expect a number of road closures and traffic delays on Wednesday due to the procession and funeral
They include Bayview Drive from Big Bay Point Road to Churchill Drive and Harvie Road/Big Bay Point Road from Veterans to Bayview drives, from 5 to approximately 10 a.m.; Bayview Drive from Churchill to Mapleview drives, from 8 a.m. to approximately 4 p.m.; and Churchill Drive at Welham Road and Fairview Road at Little Avenue with local traffic access only. The Dog Off-Leash Recreation Area at 555 Bayview Dr. will also be temporarily closed. Pet owners are advised to visit the nearby off-leash area at Sunnidale Park
Local police are urging motorists to “reconsider any potential travel plans” into those areas
People should also note that the east side of Bayview Avenue will be off limits to the public
Any changes to the road reopening times will be posted on Barrie Police Service’s Twitter and Facebook accounts
This is the second time in recent months that people will be attending Barrie’s Sadlon Arena for a police funeral. On Oct. 20, mourners gathered there to remember South Simcoe police constables Morgan Russell and Devon Northrup, who were both killed in the line of duty while responding to a disturbance call at a home in Innisfil on Oct. 11
Joanna Lavoie, CP24 Web Content Writer
