The Highway Of Heroes

by Don Bell
(Peterborough, Canada)

Thousands of Canadian soldiers are currently serving in Afghanistan and around the world in various peacekeeping missions. We think of those brave men and women and their brave comrades from the US, UK, and other nations, and we pray that all will soon return safely home to their loved ones.

Unfortunately, some troops make the ultimate sacrifice for their country. Freedom has its terrible cost. A section of North America's busiest freeway, The King's Highway 401 between Trenton and Toronto, Ontario, has been renamed "The Highway of Heroes" in honor of Canada's fallen.

Large crowds of Canadians routinely gather on the 50 bridges and overpasses along the 172 km repatriation route to pay tribute to the fallen soldiers and their families as they are driven in a final motorcade from Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Trenton to Toronto, Ontario.

Despite one's political views or thoughts about war, we normally reserved Canadians can't help expressing our deepest respect and support for the soldiers and their bereaved families. And we pray that each motorcade traveling the Highway of Heroes will be the last.