David Wynn remembered as city readies for thousands at funeral

The small community of St. Albert is bracing for thousands of visitors this weekend in advance of the funeral for slain RCMP constable David Wynn.

Mayor NolanCrousesaid he expects anywhere from5,000 and 7,000 people to attend.

Those numbers are based on a huge flood of condolences that Mounties say have steadily poured in from across Alberta, Canada and around the world afterWynn was shot in the head during a routine license checking operation.

The public regimental funeral will be held at 2 p.m.MST on Monday atServusPlace arena in St. Albert.

Uniformed law enforcement officers from across North America will march through the streets before the funeral.

Crouseis working with RCMP andConst. Wynns family to make sure their wishes are met.

We want to make sure we take time to pay full respects to what hes done for our community and what hes done for Canada in general,Crousesaid.

Meanwhile, city staff are preparing the streets and sidewalks along the procession route,while citizens do what they can to help.

Everybody comes together at a time like this, said Pauline McCormick, a volunteer with the Catholic Womens League of Holy Family Parish.

She and her group spent hours this week making hundreds of white ribbon pins to wear at the funeral.

The ribbons are part of a grassroots movement dubbed United in Light, where residents are encouraged to leave their porch lights on and hang white ribbons around the city as a symbol of peace and safety.

McCormick estimates at least 1,000 fellowparish members plan to wear a white ribbon to the funeral on Monday.

Grandmothers, mothers, we are all standing here in solidarity, she said.

Its an outward sign of how we feel deeply in our hearts.

Their efforts join several other campaigns to help Const. Wynn's relatives, including three local hockey fundraisers and a family support fund announced Thursday by theRCMP Veterans Association's Edmonton Division.