Memorial held in PG for soldiers killed on Canadian soil this week

It was “A week of terror and horror, with two soldiers targeted and murdered”.

Those were the words that opened a memorial Saturday morning, as members of the local military, police, fire, as well as search and rescue gathered downtown to honour the soldiers killed in Montreal and Ottawa this week.

Susan Scott, Chaplain for the Royal Canadian Legion called it a “week of terror and horror” as she MC’ed the event with around 100 citizens gathered with officials at the Cenotaph, to pay their respects and lay flowers, wreaths, and poppies.

The event was to honour both Cpl. Nathan Cirillo who was killed at the War Memorial in Ottawa by a gunman on Wednesday, but also Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent who was run over near Montreal on Monday.

“People have a need to come together, it’s human nature,” Scott says. “It’s also a good way to check our understanding of what happened.”

Branch 43 President Bruce Gabrielle, a 21-year retired veteran of the forces, says the event also honours the men and women who serve as first responders day in and day out saying they put their lives on the line, though he admits we often take their services for granted.

“We live in such a beautiful country, but with the events of the last week, it’s just fortunate that two people didn’t lose their lives [on Monday],” he says. “But it’s on our home-front, people want to be aware of it, people think it’s everywhere now.”

Scott also criticized those who retaliated to the attacks by vandalizing a Mosque in Cold Lake, Alberta, calling it a “senseless act”.

Branch 43 President Bruce Gabriel was also disappointed with the vandalism, but more proud with those who stepped up to clean and re-paint it.

“Our veterans died for everybody,” he says. “This is a free country, and freedom of religion is one of our biggest things.”

“It’s wonderful, it shows our true Canadian colours, all Canadians should be proud of what they did and I hope it speaks well to our Muslim community that Canadians do love them and do care. These are people, just like you and I, we are all foreigners in this land,” Gabrielle says.

The Legion will be holding another event on November 2nd, called “A Day of Remembrance”.