The funeral for Trooper Brian Richard Good was today. I did not know Trooper Good personally, but he is a soldier, a comrade in arms. I grieve the loss of all my comrades who die in service but Trooper Good is special to me. Not because his story is special, though if you read about him you will know that it is. All soldiers' stories are special if you take the time to learn them. Trooper Good is special to me by fiat of chance.
On a cold Saturday in January my wife and I found ourselves driving East on Highway 401 leaving Toronto. The Highway of Heroes, though the heroes travel West. My first trip on the road since it had been renamed. As we traveled past Oshawa around 2 PM we started to see people standing on overpasses, looking East, into a cruel wind. In ones and twos. In groups of ten, twenty, thirty and more. Some with firetrucks, others with police cars, or ambulances, or all three. Every group had Canadian Flags. Small ones on sticks in small hands. Larger ones held between two or three. A huge one stretched on a guard rail. Mile after mile, bridge after bridge, on each one more and more people arriving to take up vigil. By now we were nearing Trenton and it was nearly 3 PM. The people we had seen on the first bridges had been waiting an hour. Would be waiting at least another hour for Trooper Good to pass. The Highway of Heroes climbs a hill just West of Trenton. We descended that hill and turned the final corner to find dozens of cars stopped. Some on either side of the lanes, some on the road. Stopped out of respect. Just beyond was an overpass covered with emergency response equipment, and just entering the West bound lanes was Trooper Good's motorcade.
It was a very moving experience. Not just seeing the motorcade, but knowing so many Canadians care enough to brave a cold and windy January day to stand on an overpass and wait so long to bid farewell to a fallen hero.
To Sandra, Kayla and Jessica, my heartfelt condolences.
To Brian, farewell.
