OTTAWA — The police officers, first responders and citizens who responded with such bravery and compassion to the killings of two Canadian military members a year ago exemplified what Canada is, Gov. Gen. David Johnston said Thursday.
Johnston joined soldiers, veterans, dignitaries and hundreds of ordinary citizens at the National War Memorial to mark the first anniversary of the deadly Parliament Hill attack that killed Cpl. Nathan Cirillo.
Some suggested a year ago that the country would be dramatically changed by the incident, Johnston said, but he disagreed.
"I don't think Canada changed forever," he said. "Canadians are a caring and a courageous people. This is who we are and that will not change."
He also paid tribute to the sacrifice of Cirillo and Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent, who was killed two days earlier by an attacker in the Quebec community of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu.
"Warrant Officer Vincent and Cpl. Cirillo stood up for our democratic values of tolerance, of diversity, of equality, of fairness and of the rule of law, by which I mean the constant, relentless pursuit of justice.
"This is who we are."
Johnston joined Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Justin Trudeau, Harper's designated successor, among those who were on hand to commemorate the tragedy under grey autumn skies.
The memorial began with a 21-gun salute that echoed across downtown Ottawa. A flypast of CF-18 fighter jets in the so-called "missing man" formation then roared over the monument.
On Oct. 22, 2014, Cirillo, 24, was shot in the back as he stood ceremonial guard at the war memorial across the street from Parliament Hill.
From there, the lone gunman, Michael Zehaf Bibeau, stormed through the front doors of Parliament Hill's centre block before dying in an hail of bullets, including from the gun of the sergeant-at-arms of the House of Commons.
The incident came 48 hours after Warrant Officer Vincent, 53, was killed in an unrelated hit-and-run by an Islamic extremist who was later killed by police.
Downtown Ottawa was plunged into a day-long lockdown amid persistent — and ultimately false — rumours that multiple shooters might be on the loose.
A year later, people filed to the memorial to join members of the Cirillo and Vincent families, members of Cirillo's regiment and representatives of police and first responders.
Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney, who was one of the Conservatives re-elected in Monday's vote, was among those who strode down Sparks Street towards the commemoration.
He says he went for a morning jog to the memorial at 7 a.m. to pay tribute to both fallen soldiers.
Blaney met Vincent's family earlier.
"Today our nation is coming together," Blaney told The Canadian Press. "We are stronger than we were.... The elected prime minister will be there with our right honourable Mr. Harper."
Harper issued his own written statement in advance of the ceremony, paying tribute to Cirillo and Vincent.
"On this day let us also pay tribute to all the security forces, medical personnel and brave citizens who risked their safety to stop the attackers and help those injured," said Harper.
"It was inspiring to see how Canadians came together in the aftermath of these attacks."
Trudeau echoed some of that in his own statement:
"Our servicemen and women, who have put their lives on the line for their country, stand for the very best of what it means to be Canadian," Trudeau said.
"We will live up to our sacred obligation to Canada's men and women in uniform, our veterans, and their families."
Blaney said he has a "profound sense of mission accomplished" after a year of leading the Conservative government's controversial response to the attacks.
Over the last year, long-standing security gaps on Parliament Hill have been addressed and controversial new anti-terrorism legislation was enacted. More changes could be in the works once a pair of security studies are completed.
