The Highway of Heroes Honours Canadian's Fallen Soldiers Special

It's a place we would never want to have, a final highway ride for fallen heroes and yet in Canada the brave men and women who gave their all are honoured as they make their final way home from Afghanistan with loving Canadians gathering on the bridges.

The Highway of Heroes is a part of Highway 401 from CFB Trenton into Toronto. The stretch of highway was renamed Highway of Heroes in 2007. As the fallen pass people gather faithfully along the highway and the bridges to give their final respects. The solidarity show of respect is a grassroots movement that is getting noticed. There is now talk of a memorial wall being built with donations in Trenton. The idea was fronted by former Liberal cabinet member Hugh O'Neil. The Intelligencer reports:

"As residents we've watched too many repatriation ceremonies at CFB Trenton. It's a heart-wrenching experience watching our heroes return home in flag-draped caskets,'' said O'Neil.

The movement has inspired a song "Highway of Heroes" written by Toronto songwriter Bob Reid and produced by Blair Packham. A portion of proceeds from the song will be donated to Wounded Warriors, a charitable fund which supports injured service-people and their families. Wounded Warriors also works with the family members of fallen soldiers helping them through the hardest time of their lives. Blair Packham told Digital Journal that he came to the project through his friend Bob Reid, who co-hosts Rock Talk on Newstalk 1010 CFRB. "I heard the song in demo form and really liked it. Bob played the song at a party and it got a lot of attention. he decided to make a real version and wanted to have it recorded by someone well known in Canada but at the time it just didn't line up with any of those performers. In the end he decided for us to do the song together." When I told Packham that the song moved me, he replied, "That's the whole point of the song, to move people. Bob Reid was very moved by the display of patriotism and support. It's what motivated him to write the song." Bob Reid, the man who wrote the inspiring Highway of Heroes, spoke to Digital Journal about the motivation of his song. "I was struck by the thousands of people who were honouring the fallen soldiers. It's quite unique I think. It's very Canadian. I had never seen anything like it." Reid said that he didn't visit the highway himself until after he had written the song using instead media coverage and the thoughts of friends and family who had been involved with the grassroots movement. "Those who I spoke with told me how moved they were and how proud they felt of the fallen troops. They were so proud to be part of the representation of the Canadian people including the many who wish they could be there and can't for whatever reason." Reid said that he had played the song to his friend Bill Carroll over dinner after his friend Packham had heard the song to just see what Carroll thought. The reaction was immediate and very strong. "He told me that people needed to hear this song." The initial plan Reid said was to have a well known performer record the song to get maximum airplay but when that fell through he and Packham did the recording along with guitarist, Triumph legend Rik Emmett. "Getting Rik to play was the icing on the cake."

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Highway of Heroes Canada

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