Ottawa held a ceremony to honour the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attack on Parliament Hill on Tuesday as well as a moment of silence in the House of Commons.
The attack left a young reservist dead and happened only days after a warrant officer was killed in Quebec.
Cpl. Nathan Cirillo was shot to death on Oct. 22, 2014 at the age of 24 while guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Parliament Hill. He was a member of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.
He was murdered by Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, a terrorist who also shot at Cpl. Branden Stevenson, who was a long-time close friend who was also guarding the site with Cirillo that morning.
Zehaf-Bibeau injured several others before storming inside Parliament Hill’s Centre Block, firing off dozens of rounds before he was eventually gunned down by Sergeant-at-Arms Kevin Vickers and six other RCMP officers.
The attack happened in the Hall of Honour when MPs were in surrounding committee rooms holding their weekly caucus meetings.
Former prime minister Stephen Harper and MPs were forced into lockdown for hours and the attack saw Ottawa’s downtown core completely shut down.
“I can’t believe it’s been 10 years. It felt like it was yesterday,” said Ephraim Cirillo, Nathan’s cousin, following a private family ceremony at the National War Memorial.
“It was tough just knowing that my best friend was beside (Nathan) as well,” he said, adding that “it was nice to know that Nathan had Branden to comfort him in his final breaths.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a statement saying that on the day, “Canadians saw terrifying pictures and videos of an attack on Parliament Hill. But there is one image from that day I remember clearly: people protecting one another as we took shelter wherever we were. I remember that, in the days that followed, political debate was subsumed by collegial support. And above all, we all remember the service and the sacrifice of those who stood guard, and those who rushed toward danger to save lives.”
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre also issued a statement on Tuesday to express his respect for the sacrifices made during the two attacks.
“Both men were murdered for the uniform they wore and for standing on guard for our nation. Today, as we did a decade ago, Canada mourns their loss, and we honour their memories and the sacrifice they paid defending our country.”
Ephraim Cirillo said he wants people to remember the bravery exhibited by his cousin and the love Nathan had for his family.
“He was brave, he was a leader, he was an amazing human being … I wish he could still be here today,” he said.
