Dale Corra was the guest speaker at the annual Banquet of Remembrance in Inverness on Saturday.
November 5, 2025
-by April MacDonald
Comrade Eddie MacEachern had the pleasure to introduce the 2025 guest of honour at their annual Banquet of Remembrance last Saturday evening in Inverness.
Dale Corra is a Retired Sergeant for Toronto Police Service, after 31 years of service.
MacEachern explained that, in 2009, Corra was awarded the Ontario Officer of the Year for his involvement in the Kids and Cops Program. This was after 15 years of volunteering with this program and reaching over 1000 children.
In 2010, Corra was the executive producer of an album called "Walking the Beat.” Also in 2010, he received a commendation from the Toronto Fire Service for assisting a Fire Captain in a burning dwelling.
He did two tours in Afghanistan in 2012-13 as well as two tours in Ukraine in 2016-17.
Corra is presently National Enforcement Captain for the Canada Punishers, Law Enforcement Motorcycle Club. “Now I will do the Cape Breton version of who he is,” said MacEachern.
“I can't say who's your father, Corra is not a local name, but when you ask who's your grand father…Dale's grandfather was Neil MacEachern…my father’s little brother, so that means that my Dad, Archie Dan and Danny Hector are his grand uncles,” he explained. “So, now you know,” closed MacEachern.
Corra took the podium and said that Cape Bretoners are like a spider web. “You can bend us, twist us, and even break us, but in the morning we will be back…that’s the resilience of Inverness County and Cape Bretoners,” said Corra.
He said that we as a people are feared around the world because we are kind and good people, but we can become angry when there is injustice in the world.
He then read a powerful poem that he wrote for “the fallen soldier” called Remember Me.
Remember Me
The Coal on Father's face
The tears and my Wife's embrace
My child looks at me...for Grace
Mother's dinner, an absent table place
Dear Grandma, the water chills cold
Steel fish have torn though our hold
Salt spray, oil and blood fold
Help comes...the Captain has told
The propellers, power up, they drone
Pushing missions through black skies
Brothers...I wish I was home...
Flak bursts to bring our demise
Bayonets sharp gleam at Vimy Ridge
Grenades land near a Holland bridge
Juno Beach, the smoke, the sand
Shadows and dust bloody Afghanistan
Smoke swoons from Father's pipe
My wife's stark glare at the door
The boy now plays, proud, bagpipes
Remember me, now, evermore
Written by Dale Corra, retired sergeant, Afghanistan / Ukraine service
Lest We Forget
The second guest speaker was a dear friend of Dale Corra, named Randy Brann.
Brann is a 24 year veteran with combined service with Norfolk City Police and Norfolk County Sheriff’s Office, Virginia. Presently he is the chief administration officer and worldwide board member of the largest law enforcement motorcycle club in the world – with members in 24 countries including the United States and Canada.
Brann explained the formation of a new motorcycle chapter here and said, “anything you need done will be done.”
The motorcycle club is called “The Punishers,” and they operate around the world and around the nation.
He showed a Canadian flag with a blue strip stitched on his jacket and explained that he was the only person to ever be awarded that patch.
Brann, who referred to himself as “the gatekeeper,” to vette those wanting to join the Punishers, spent 25 years working the streets and closed by saying that retirement has given him the opportunity to do events such as this.
