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9/11 ceremony held at Sumas border memorial Sunday

Mission firefighters will be remembering the 10th anniversary of 9/11 this Sunday, standing alongside other emergency responders in Sumas, Wash.

A ceremony is taking place Sept. 11 at the border memorial to honour the people who perished in the terrorist bombings in New York, NY's World Trade Center towers, said Mission Fire/Rescue Chief Ian Fitzpatrick.

There have been annual, smaller ceremonies at the Sumas site in the years following the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, and this will likely be the last, said the chief.

Firefighters from around the region, as well as police officers, paramedics and other law enforcement personnel will gather on the Canadian side of the border in Abbotsford shortly before 10 a.m.

The Canadians will march across the line to join the Americans for the event, which will feature words from the mayors of Abbotsford and Mission, in addition to a special recognition of the late Chief Frank Ryan, who passed away earlier this year. Ryan, who served as Mission's fire chief for 13 years, was one of the originators of the Sumas memorial, and helped in its design and placement.