On the ten-year anniversary of the attack on Parliament Hill, several politicians honoured the memory of the 24-year-old reservist from Hamilton who was shot and killed while standing guard at the National War Memorial in Ottawa.
On Oct. 22, 2014, Cpl. Nathan Cirillo
was shot twice in the back while standing guard on ceremonial sentry duty. While six Canadians rushed to help Cirillo, he ultimately succumbed to his injuries.
The gunman, Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, went on to breach the Centre Block of Parliament Hill where MPs were gathered for caucus meetings. Zehaf-Bibeau died in a gunfight with police officers and parliamentary security.
A day earlier, a different man had driven his car into two Canadian Armed Forces soldiers in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., before dying in a shootout with police. One of the soldiers survived, while the other, 53-year-old Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent, succumbed to his injuries.
In a statement released on Oct. 22, 2024,
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, “Our hearts are with their families and friends who still grieve the loss of their loved one.” Trudeau highlighted how Canadians in Ottawa rushed to protect each other during the attack, and how political debate in the days that followed was “subsumed by collegial support.”
“Above all, we all remember the service and the sacrifice of those who stood guard, and those who rushed toward danger to save lives. That is what we remember today, and what we must never forget,” he said.
Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre
said on platform X that Cirillo and Vincent were “murdered for the uniform they wore and for standing on guard for our nation.” He said Canadians mourned their loss and honoured “their memories and the sacrifice they paid defending our country.”
Defence Minister Bill Blair and Veterans Affairs Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor also issued a
statement commemorating the anniversary of the event. They said while the National War Memorial was established to honour Canada’s fallen soldiers, “none of us thought that it would be a place where a Canadian Armed Forces member would make the ultimate sacrifice while on duty.”
The two ministers said Cirillo and Vincent were remembered for embodying the values of the Canadian Armed Forces and their dedication to duty. “The call to serve your nation is the highest calling. They both answered the call, and for that, our nation is forever grateful,” said the statement.
Former Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole highlighted on social media the six “courageous and compassionate“ Canadians who tried to help Cirillo after he was shot. ”They tried desperately to save his life and comforted him in his final moments. ‘You are loved’ they told him. I still think of this often. It was a gesture of love in the aftermath of hate,” O'Toole said.
O'Toole also posted a photo of the
plaque honouring Cirillo that is located “
mere steps from where he paid the ultimate sacrifice.“ The plaque reads that Cirillo ”never left his post,“ and ”forevermore he shall stand sentry, on guard for Canada.”
