CALGARY – Off-duty soldiers, military vets and other Calgarians gathered at the Cenotaph in downtown Calgary on Saturday to honour Cpl. Nathan Cirillo and Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent.
The two soldiers were killed in targeted attacks on Canadian soil.
Veterans stood guard in plain clothes, but wearing red poppies in honour of the slain soldiers.
Dozens of people showed up at the vigil in Calgary, which is one of several planned across the country.
Their message is clear, there is no fear…no surrender.
Silently they fall in to place, their actions engrained in to them by years of service.
Many gathered to honor the two soldiers killed this week.
Mario Desousa from the Canadian Armed Forces Veteran Motorcycle Club, was one of them.
“We’re paying respects. Paying respects to the fallen soldiers that we’ve had. Our brotherhood, even though we’re not serving right now we know what they’ve gone through and the sacrifice they’ve put themselves out at,” Desousa said.
It’s a powerful image in the wake of such tragedy.
A sign of Canada’s strength, the vigil party turns to salute the Canadian flag.
“I have lived on three continents and to live in Canada is a true blessing. It’s a society where we feel a sense of belonging and a sense of comradery,” Kabir Lalani said.
“I think we all feel the need to do something,”Patricia Murphy a retired major from “The King’s Own” Calgary regimen said.
“We need to support our country and we need to stand up to the values that we cherish,” Murphy said.
There’s no lack of courage at the gathering, even at a time when some soldiers have been ordered not to wear their uniforms in public.
Calgary Centre MP Jane Crockett, who came just meters from the gunman, came forward to tell her story.
“In our conservative caucus we all moved as one to protect the prime minister and then to guard the doors and pile chairs up we were prepared to defend and fight,” Crockett said.
For many of the vets that paid their respects Saturday, the threat of radicalization is very real.
“Every member that has served has veteran license plates. We’re not going to not use them, take our colors off, not going to take our flags off, we’re still Canadians but there’s a target because of that license plate,” Mario Desousa said.
Shows of support were visible throughout the city.
At the cenotaph, the crowd grew large and many voices became one.
The local sikh community has cancelled its fireworks for an annual festival and is instead holding a candlelight vigil for the two fallen soldiers.
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