'Violation of our nation’s capital'

St. Albert politicians were caught up in the aftermath of the tragic events in Ottawa on Wednesday that shocked the nation, leaving a Canadian Forces reservist dead and gunshots ringing through the halls of Parliament.

“The incident in Ottawa is a violation of our nation’s capital,” said Doug Horner, MLA for Spruce Grove-St. Albert.

Horner was in Ottawa for meetings and was just a couple of blocks from both the National War Memorial, where Cpl. Nathan Cirillo was shot while standing guard over the monument, and Parliament buildings, where the gunman was taken down inside Centre Block.

Horner was in a meeting when the shooting occurred, and came out in time to discover they were now in lockdown. He stayed in lockdown for about five hours, watching the day’s events unfold via the news and social media, with Horner also watching the action via a window.

“It was (a) considerable show of force on the streets, but also quite calm, after awhile the streets were pretty empty because you were either locked in a building or you walked home,” Horner said.

Even when he and his staff were released from lockdown, they had to go on a large loop back to their hotel – which had also been locked down – rather than the most direct route.

Horner arrived back in Alberta in the early hours of Thursday morning.

“The mood in even the airport lounge was anger that this happened in our nation’s capital,” Horner said Thursday afternoon. A former reservist himself, he said he knows when something like this happens, many look to their faith.

Edmonton-St. Albert MP Brent Rathgeber was walking to work, mere blocks away from Parliament when he got a call from his staff alerting him about the shooting and expecting his office to be locked down imminently.

“Sure enough, by the time I got about two blocks away, they contacted me to tell me the building was locked down,” Rathgeber said, speaking from his Ottawa apartment on Wednesday afternoon. “By that time, sirens and police cars were everywhere, coming down Bank Street, going down Wellington Street, and, by the time I got about a block away, the police had set up a barricade.”

Sirens could be heard in the background as Rathgeber spoke. He said there were few people on the street and the stores were all closed, making that area of Ottawa seem like a ghost town.

Having viewed video taken by an Ottawa-based reporter for the Globe and Mail online, Rathgeber said the caucuses, which meet on Wednesday mornings, would have been mere metres away from where gunfire occurred in the Hall of Honour in Centre Block.

Rathgeber praised the House of Commons’ sergeant-at-arms Kevin Vickers, who is being called a hero for his role in bringing the incident to an end.

“The quick thinking of individuals like that kept a terrible, terrible situation (from) becoming … one that could have been truly catastrophic,” Rathgeber said.

Ottawa has always felt safe to Rathgeber, who worries public access to the government buildings and the grounds around Parliament will be limited as a result of the shooting.

“That’s very, very unfortunate because this is the apex of Canadian democracy and it belongs to all Canadians.”

It’s heart wrenching to hear another member of the Canadian Forces has died, he said, and noted it appears from the week’s events that there’s some suspicion that military members are being targeted.

“That’s a very changed position for Canada, we generally look to our military with reverence,” Rathgeber said.

It’s too soon to tell the full effect of the day’s events, Rathgeber said, adding it appears our nation is no longer immune to terrorism.

“This is a game changer and not a good one,” he said.

Closer to home, nearby CFB Edmonton’s public affairs officer said people at the base were stunned by the news.

“I think everybody’s still sort of processing,” said Captain Donna Riguidel. “I’ve heard a lot of people say things like it’s a new world.”

CFB Edmonton was not placed under lock down on Wednesday, Riguidel confirmed.