Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney spoke at the House of Commons Wednesday afternoon following the mass school shooting in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., that left eight dead, as well as the shooter, and 27 injured, saying the tragedy “has left our nation in shock and all of us in mourning.”
Members of the House of Commons observed a moment of silence for the victims and agreed to adjourn until Thursday at 10 a.m., skipping question period. Several rows of ambassadors from other countries sat in the galleries of the House of Commons in a rare show of support as party leaders rose to speak.
“Tumbler Ridge represents the very best of Canada. Resilient, compassionate and strong,” Carney said. “‘All of Canada stands with you. May the memories of those lost be a blessing. May this community which has shown its resilience so many times before, once again find the strength to heal and may this house prove worthy of what Tumblr Ridge has always been by striving to make Canada a better, kinder, and safer place.”
Carney also spoke about the need to support victims families as the investigation unfolds.
“Mr. Speaker, in the days ahead, there’ll be important questions to ask, difficult conversations to have. We owe that to the victims and their families. But now, it’s time for grieving. And remembrance. Now is for the people of Tumbler Ridge and the Peace River region for a community that is enduring the unimaginable.” Carney also offered words to those directly affected by the shooting.
“To those families who have lost loved ones, this House mourns with you. To those who are recovering from injuries, this House prays for you. To the students, the teachers, the parents, every resident of Tumbler Ridge, all of Canada stands with you.”
Carney also acknowledged all those involved in the shooting’s response and aftermath.
“I want to express my profound gratitude to the first responders, the RCMP officers, who entered immediately that school not knowing what awaited them. To the paramedics and medical staff at the Tumblr Ridge Health Center. To the teachers and the school staff who acted with extraordinary courage to protect the children in their care. In the darkest of moments they showed the best of our country,” he said.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said that “no parent should ever bury their own child.”
“As a father, I can only imagine the phone call or visit that brought the news, the panic, the helplessness, the heartache that followed. No parent should ever have to fear that their child will not return home from school.”
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Poilievre offered words of support to the Tumbler Ridge community.
“To the people of Tumbler Ridge, Canadians across the land are thinking of you. The world is thinking of you. We know that in your small tight-knit community, grief spreads across families, workplaces, churches, and friend groups, and know that all of us stand with you,” he said.
“On behalf of the Official Opposition, as I told the prime minister moments ago, we will be with you, with the provincial leaders, with local government, and we will do everything we can to support this community through this hardship. We all stand together. There is no partisanship on this day,” he said.
Yves-Francois Blanchet, leader of the Bloc Québécois, spoke in part in English, which is unusual for a BQ MP inside the House of Commons.
“In the name of the Bloc Québécois and in my own, I would like to offer my deepest condolences to the families of the nine children whose life was taken, to the 25 families awaiting and hoping for good news about their wounded children, and to the entire community of Tumbler Ridge.”
Blanchet also said “today, Quebec and British Columbia have never been closer. All Quebecers who have a child at school today are with British Columbia.”
When Blanchet referenced the number of people who died, that was an earlier number given by the RCMP, who have since updated the death toll to eight.
Interim NDP Leader Don Davies said “a loss like this reverberates through every home, every workplace and every gathering.”
“This violence unfolded at a school, a place meant to nurture and protect our children. Deepening the shock and sorrow felt by all Canadians. Loved ones have been stolen. Families have been shattered. And a small community will be changed forever in a place where everyone knows one another, where neighbors are more like extended family.”
Davies also said “we remember each of the victims. Not as numbers in a headline, but as human beings whose lives were rich and meaningful.”
Green Party Leader Elizabeth May said “our hearts are broken.”
“This is the kind of thing none of us want to have happen in Canada, but to have happen in a place like Tumbler Ridge, so small, everyone knows everyone and I know that the member of Parliament knows everyone,” she said.
She also said “we are not just a nation, we are a united nation and a family.”
A book of condolences is available for MPs to sign until Feb. 17, at which time Conservative MP Bob Zimmer, who represents the community, will bring it there.
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