Ryan, Jordan families to receive $100K from Alberta Heroes’ Fund

The families of two Edmonton police officers killed in the line of duty this week will receive $100,000 from the Alberta Provincial Fund for First Responders, the premier says.

Premier Daniel Smith made the announcement on his Corus radio show Saturday, saying the grieving families of police officers Brett Ryan and Travis Jordan will receive funds from the Alberta Heroes Fund.

“Const. Brett Ryan and Const. Travis Jordan are both young men with young families, and so one of the things to support the families is our Heroes Fund,” Smith said. Your state, your prime minister.

“So the families will receive $100,000 each to help with the costs associated with this terrible tragedy,” he added.

Along with the payment, donations will also support the families A GoFundMe page set up by the Edmonton Police Foundation. As of Saturday afternoon, fundraising had reached nearly $240,000.

The Heroes Fund was established in 2020 and provides one-time, tax-free gifts to the grieving families of police officers, paramedics, firefighters, sheriffs and county corrections officers who have died on active duty.

Each year, the state allocates $1.5 million to the fund.

“It’s very rare that we lose an officer. It was a really tough week for everybody,” Smith said. “It’s been a really tough week for everyone as we’ve watched this tragedy unfold.”

During the show, the Prime Minister announced that a regimental funeral would take place in the coming weeks. Hours later, he denied the report in a statement posted on social media.

“This morning I shared information about the regimental funerals for Officers Brett Ryan and Travis Jordan.” said the statement. “The details of the funerals are not fully confirmed and final at the moment.

“I would ask the public to wait [Edmonton Police Service] to present the deadline and complete details,” added the Prime Minister.

In a statement to CTV News Edmonton, police said funeral arrangements are still in the final stages.

“This is premature,” EPS spokesman Scott Pattison said. “Once we will inform the media and the public [funeral] Constables Ryan and Jordan’s plans are finalised.’