OPP officers and other officials, as well as the general public, will be paying their respects on Wednesday to a veteran officer who was killed in a motorcycle crash while on duty in Cobourg last week.
A police funeral service for Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Sergeant Brandon Malcolm will be held at the Cobourg Community Centre at 10:30 a.m.
Sgt. Malcolm, 33, died on April 27 after crashing while operating a police motorcycle on Hwy. 401 near Burnham Street North in Cobourg. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Malcolm joined the OPP in 2020 and served his entire career with the Northumberland detachment. He was a member of the OPP’s Golden Helmets – an elite precision motorcycle riding team that performed at public events and functions. Malcolm also served as an auxiliary member of the Toronto Police Service (TPS) and as a combat engineer with the Canadian Armed Forces.
Tributes have poured in from across the province. OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique said the service is “grieving this tremendous loss,” while Premier Doug Ford offered condolences to Malcolm’s family and colleagues.
The funeral will be attended by Sergeant Malcolm’s family and guests, members of the OPP, emergency services and officials. Premier Ford, Commissioner Carrique and Lieutenant Governor Edith Dumont will be among the speakers. Below is the funeral program.
While the funeral service is not open to the general public for in-person attendance, a designated viewing area will be available to view the funeral cortege as it arrives at the Cobourg Community Centre. Members of the public will also be able to watch the funeral via a livestream.
The public can also watch a livestream of the funeral service at the Concert Hall at Victoria Hall in Cobourg.
The funeral cortege, which was expected to start around 8:30 a.m., will be travelling east on Hwy. 401 from Stevenson Road South in Oshawa, exiting at Division Street in Cobourg, and arriving at the Cobourg Community Centre around 9:30 a.m.
The public was also able to join first responders in paying their respects from one of the overpasses along Hwy. 401 between Stevenson Road South and Division Street. The OPP advised members of the public to avoid obstructing traffic or stopping on the highway to exit their vehicle.
Starting at around 9 a.m., OPP officers will begin marching from Kerr Street, north on D’Arcy Street, to the Cobourg Community Centre. They will be stationed along D’Arcy Street to honour the funeral cortege as it passes by.
“Members of the public are welcome to observe the procession as it makes its way around the Cobourg Community Centre. Those wishing to watch in person may gather on the sidewalk along the west side of D’Arcy Street,” police said. “This will be pedestrian-only access. No public vehicles will be permitted.”
The OPP said the following roads will be closed to the public and will be in effect for the duration of the funeral service:
Last Thursday, dozens of officers from multiple OPP units lined the street outside the Centre of Forensic Sciences in North York, while members of the mounted and motorcycle units were on hand, as well as the ceremonial honour guard, accompanying him on the way to Oshawa ahead of his funeral.
Along the way, police officers, first responders and civilians gathered on some of the highway’s overpasses. As a sign of respect, the RCAF flew one of its Search and Rescue helicopters above the procession.
A book of condolences is available online at opp.ca/news, where members of the public can leave messages for Malcolm’s family and colleagues.
With files from Lucas Casaletto, CityNews