Mr. Speaker, I was in Boston yesterday joined by 27,000 fellow runners and millions of spectators. What was an unparalleled community celebration, unfortunately ended in tragedy.
Runners and visitors from all over the world were there to run the famed 42 kilometre route from Hopkinton to Boston. Sadly, senseless violence rocked the innocence of a sport, a community and, indeed, the world.
Running is a sport of perseverance and will, and it will take all of that over the coming days and weeks to rise above this horrible attack. We will all remember the running of the 117th Boston Marathon now, sadly, for very different reasons.
I ask all members of the House to join me in condemning this violence but, most important, by expressing our deepest of sympathies to the victims and their families and thanking the courageous emergency personnel and volunteers who rushed toward danger and not away from it to help those in need.
This grief is shared and the thoughts and prayers of the Canadian people are with our closest of friends and allies in the United States, in particular the great people of the Boston Athletic Association.