BRUCE HYER STATEMENT ON OTTAWA SHOOTINGS
Thunder Bay – Superior North MP Bruce Hyer
OTTAWA, ON – Bruce Hyer, MP for Thunder Bay-Superior North and Deputy Leader of the Green Party released the following statement regarding today’s shootings in Ottawa:
My heart goes out to the loved ones of the soldier who needlessly lost his life today at the National War Memorial. All Canadians from coast to coast mourn the loss today, of a brave man who sacrificed everything to protect our peace and security. He will not be forgotten.
I’d also like to thank all of the security personnel at the House of Commons, especially Sergeant-at-Arms Kevin Vickers and the wounded security officer. They too risked their lives to protect MPs and all parliamentary staff. We owe our safety, and our lives, to their bravery.
We know that this was a coordinated attack. We do not yet know the motive of the shooters, or the reasons for the attack. We must take care not to overreact. Canada’s armed security personnel are doing their job, and continue to keep us safe. In the meantime, we must wait until this ordeal ends and we have a full picture of the facts of the situation before jumping to conclusions.
We must take care at this time to protect the safety, rights and freedoms of all law-abiding Canadians. In the end, I have confidence that the perpetrators will be brought to justice.
My thoughts today are with the families of those injured or killed, and all parliamentary staff and personnel. I pray that there are no further injuries.
It is moments like these that we come together as Canadians to support one another. Parliament is a symbol of democracy, freedom, and indeed all that we hold dear in Canada. We will not live in fear as a result of this attack. Canadian democracy will continue to be open and accessible, and Canada will remain, as ever, the true north, strong and free.
