Canadians remember two fallen soldiers
OTTAWA — Tears fell where blood had been spilled at the National War Memorial as Canadians gathered Thursday to mark one year since a gunman brought terror and death to the country’s capital.
Yet, while the ceremony was punctuated with sadness as Canadians remembered Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent and Cpl. Nathan Cirillo — two soldiers who died within days of each other at the hands of radicalized assailants — there was also strength, compassion and unity.
“It’s been one year,” Gov. Gen. David Johnston told the sombre ceremony. “Many people said Canada changed forever last October. But I don’t think Canada changed forever. Canadians are a caring, courageous people, and that did not change, and that will not change.”
Cirillo was gunned down from behind on Oct. 22, 2014, while guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. His killer then attacked Parliament Hill, where he died in a shootout with police and Hill security.
Vincent had been run down outside a Canadian Armed Forces recruiting centre in St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., two days earlier.
Crowds began gathering around the War Memorial more than an hour before about 200 uniformed military personnel took up positions at the cenotaph. Sentries stood guard on the exact spots where Cirillo and his fellow soldier, Cpl. Branden Stevenson, had stood one year earlier.
A short time later, the families of Vincent and Cirillo arrived, including Cirillo’s young son, Marcus. Many Canadians will remember the heartbreaking images of Marcus, wearing his father’s hat on his small head, bravely marching behind Cirillo’s hearse through the streets of Hamilton, Ont., last year.
Prime minister-designate Justin Trudeau and his wife, Sophie Gregoire, arrived next, followed by outgoing Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his wife, Laureen. It was the first time the two leaders had been seen together since Monday’s election, and their initial meeting consisted of little more than a brief handshake.
When it came time to lay a wreath on behalf of the government, the two men rose and together carried the arrangement, placing it in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a show of unity to Canadians and the world.
The ceremony had all the markings of Remembrance Day, including a 21-gun salute and four CF-18 fighter jets flying past at low speed. At one point, one of the aircraft broke away from the others and headed up into the heavens, representing the soldiers who had fallen in the line of duty.
With members of both soldiers’ families wiping away tears, Johnston said the two soldiers’ duty “was to defend us and to bravely stand on guard for our country. Ours is to remember their sacrifice, and to remember why they served.”
The Governor General also remembered those who rushed to help Vincent and Cirillo after they were attacked. “You boldly reminded us that with our rights and freedoms come responsibilities,” he said. “Responsibilities toward each other and to Canada.”
After the formal ceremony, members of Cirillo’s family and his unit, the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Hamilton, gathered near the War Memorial to unveil a plaque in the soldier’s honour. They placed wreaths and stood in silent contemplation after Veterans Affairs Minister Erin O’Toole spoke.
“On that day, we lost a son,” O’Toole said. “Canada’s son, but also a father, a brother, a son, a friend, a comrade-in-arms in Nathan Cirillo. And he was struck not for who he was as a man. He was struck because of the values his uniform symbolized. He was struck because he represents the best of Canada.”
A similar plaque will be unveiled for Vincent next year.
After the ceremony, one of Cirillo’s commanding officers, Capt. Mike Wonnacott, acknowledged the past year had been difficult on the unit. But he said the commemoration ceremony was an important opportunity for the unit and the country to come together and draw strength from the tragedy.
“To see everyone come together like this, I think that togetherness and moving forward from tragedy positively is what we really wanted to accomplish here,” he said.
Vincent’s sister, Louise, described the commemoration ceremony as beautiful and dignified. She said the military flypast was particularly difficult for her because the fighter jet that broke away from the others “is obviously him leaving.”
“MANY PEOPLE SAID CANADA CHANGED FOREVER LAST OCTOBER. BUT I DON’T THINK CANADA CHANGED FOREVER. CANADIANS ARE A CARING, COURAGEOUS PEOPLE, AND THAT DID NOT CHANGE, AND THAT WILL NOT CHANGE.”
GOV. GEN. DAVID JOHNSTON