Slain soldiers Cirillo, Vincent saluted five years on
Tuesday marked the fifth anniversary of a deadly attack on Parliament Hill that claimed the life of a Canadian soldier and shook Canada to the core.
Just before 10 a.m. on Oct. 22, 2014, a lone gunman, Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, shot and killed corporal Nathan Cirillo, 24, who was on ceremonial sentry duty at the National War Memorial. Zehaf-Bibeau then moved through security bollards on Wellington Street. He hijacked a minister’s car, drove to the front door of Centre Block, then stormed inside before dying in a shootout with police and security guards. MPs barricaded themselves in a Centre Block committee room armed with spears fashioned out of flagpoles.
The incident paralyzed Parliament Hill for nine hours and raised questions about security and homegrown terrorism. Zehaf-Bibeau, 32, was a self-described jihadist who was born and raised in a middle-class Montreal enclave, but had descended into mental illness and addiction.
In May 2015, the Parliamentary Protective Service was established, integrating the members of separate House and Senate security services under the operational command of the RCMP and a director reporting to the speakers of each house.
The next month, the Stephen Harper government, with Liberal support, passed the controversial anti-terrorism Bill C-51, which gave the Canadian Security Intelligence Service more power to foil suspected terrorist plots. Critics feared it would lead to more people being falsely identified as terrorist suspects.
The fifth anniversary of the attack on Parliament Hill prompted a flurry of statements and tweets on Tuesday. Mayor Jim Watson noted that the anniversary was an important day of reflection.
Wounded Warriors Canada urged remembering the service of sacrifice of Cirillo and warrant officer Patrice Vincent, who was killed two days before in a separate attack in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que.
“Five years ago we lost two of our own on Canadian soil,” said chief of the defence staff Gen. Jon Vance in a tweet. “We honour their memory each day we put on our uniforms in the service of Canada.”
In a statement, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called Tuesday a “solemn anniversary.”
“As we remember these two brave members of our Canadian Armed Forces, we also thank the bystanders who provided first aid, as well as the first responders and members of our Parliamentary family who put their safety at risk to protect us,” said Trudeau.
“Today, as we honour the courageous Canadians in uniform who defend our values and freedom at home and around the world, we are reminded of the responsibility we all share to denounce hatred and promote inclusion in our communities.”
In a tweet, Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer said the anniversary is a reminder that Canada is “not immune to the threat of terrorism” and urged Canadians to “stand vigilant and ensure that we continue to fight against threats to our security.”