QUEEN'S PARK, ON, June 5 /CNW/ - The Honourable James K. Bartleman,

Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, joined by Premier Dalton McGuinty and

Community Safety and Correctional Services Minister Monte Kwinter, officially

dedicated the Ontario Fire Fighters Memorial today at a ceremony in Toronto,

attended by hundreds of firefighters and their families.

    "Our heroes in uniform - firefighters from across Ontario - fight to

protect our homes, preserve our life's work, save our families and loved

ones," McGuinty said. "When one of them is lost in the line of duty, it's a

great loss to all of us. Their memories will continue to live in this monument

and the hearts of their families, friends and communities."

    The Ontario Fire Fighters Memorial Foundation oversaw the construction of

the monument and the provincial government donated $500,000 and the land, at

the northeast corner of College Street and Queen's Park Circle, where the

memorial is located.

    The names of 344 fallen firefighters are inscribed on the memorial's six

granite walls. The earliest names on the memorial date back to 1848, and the

most recent are from 2004.

    "The names on the memorial honour the bravery and dedication of Ontario's

firefighters," Kwinter said. "Our government will continue to support

firefighters and help ensure they get the best training and resources so they

can do their job as safely as possible. We hope that no new names will have to

be added to the memorial in the future."

    The plaza where the memorial is located has the shape of a Maltese Cross,

the firefighter's badge and a symbol of protection. The monument itself

consists of a bronze statue of a firefighter holding a child with a black

monolith, representing a building, in the background.

    "The Fire Fighters Memorial honours Ontario firefighters who have given

their lives in the line of duty," said Neville Murphy, president of the

Ontario Fire Fighters Memorial Foundation. "The foundation is grateful to the

Province of Ontario for its support in creating a lasting monument that

celebrates the lives, heroism and accomplishments of our province's

firefighters."