Hundreds pay tribute to Elizabeth in memorial service at legislature
Lakhani praises queen `for ideals of compassionate service and citizenship'
Hundreds gathered in a cold drizzle in front of the Alberta legislature Monday for a memorial to Queen Elizabeth II, hours after she was laid to rest in her home country.
The outdoor ceremony began at 10 a.m., in the aftermath of the queen's funeral in London. The proceedings in Edmonton included an Indigenous honour song and hymns sung by Edmonton's Greenwood Singers.
The sun peeked through the clouds for a moment during the British patriotic hymn I Vow to Thee My Country, and Premier Jason Kenney could be seen mouthing the words.
Kenney addressed the crowd, referencing the “solemn pilgrimage” made by millions — including himself — to see the queen's coffin. The premier was among those in London who waited in line for hours to pay their respects after the queen's death on Sept. 8.
“By the dutiful and dignified way that she led a very public life ... she was a sign of contradiction against so much of the darkness that has characterized the modern age,” Kenney said.
The province had marked Monday as a day of mourning but did not make the day an official holiday as it is in the Atlantic provinces and for all federal employees.
Lt.-gov. Salma Lakhani, legislature Speaker Nathan Cooper, NDP MLA Nicole Goehring and a representative from the British Consul General in Calgary also spoke about the late Queen.
“The ideals of compassionate service and citizenship that she symbolized will continue to sit at the very heart of who we are as Canadians,” Lakhani said.
Cooper added that Queen Elizabeth's memory is in the legislature building itself — the fountain at the centre of the legislative rotunda was installed in 1959 to mark her first visit to Alberta as queen, and during her final visit in 2005, she gave a speech from the throne in legislative chambers.
Anglican Bishop of Edmonton Rev. Stephen London and Roman Catholic Archbishop of Edmonton Richard Smith both led prayers during the memorial, which ended with the singing of God Save The King and a 96-gun salute fired from the south side of the legislature.
The provincial government made condolence books available for the public to sign until the end of last week.
They've also asked that, in lieu of leaving flowers at government buildings, to consider donating to a charity of your choice or to one of the many Canadian charities championed by the late queen, such as the Canadian Red Cross Society or Canadian Cancer Society.
On Thursday, the province formally marked the end of the queen's reign and the accession of King Charles III with a ceremony at Government House.
That was followed by a special sitting of the legislature, where elected members were not expected back until Oct. 31, to debate a motion honouring the queen's legacy and offering condolences to the Royal Family.
“We, Your Majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects, the legislative assembly, now assembled, wish to express the deep sympathy felt by this assembly for the great sorrow which Your Majesty has sustained by the death of the late Queen,” the motion, addressing King Charles III, read.
Kenney told the legislature that the monarch's death affected him personally, calling the queen “a constant and reassuring presence” who had served for 70 of Alberta's 117 years in existence.
“Her death has hit me harder than expected,” he said. “(It's) as though I lost a grandmother or long-time friend.”
The province has also announced that the Federal Building, located on the northeast corner of the legislative grounds, will be renamed the Queen Elizabeth II Building in a ceremony planned for Sept. 27.
It would be the latest honour to bear the queen's name in the Alberta capital following her four visits to the city, most recently in 2005.
Her name is on the planetarium in Coronation Park, Queen Elizabeth High School in north Edmonton, Princess Elizabeth Avenue, as well as the Queen Elizabeth II Highway between the Alberta capital and Calgary.
Queen Elizabeth II died in Scotland at the age of 96, following a reign of just over seven decades.