Hon. colleagues, thank you for your kind words on this sad anniversary.
Many of us remember that day 10 years ago, and many of us can picture that day 10 years ago, but it affects us all.
We all mourn the terrible and senseless death of Corporal Nathan Cirillo. We honour him and remember his sacrifice and his service to our country. Our hearts and prayers are with his loved ones, who miss him still.
We also remember and honour the strength and courage of our Parliamentary Protective Service personnel on duty that day, our heroes who put their own lives at risk without hesitation to keep us all safe. We have colleagues serving today who bear the scars of that day. Out of respect to all members of the Parliamentary Protective Service and the RCMP, I will not individually name them, but on behalf of all of us, I want them to know that we see them, we recognize them and we recognize their service and devotion to this place. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank them all.
If I may, I would also like to recognize three ordinary Canadians who the hon. member for Timmins—James Bay directly brought to our attention. These incredible Canadians, in an extraordinary way, stepped into a dangerous situation and provided succour to Corporal Cirillo in his hour of need. Margaret Lerhe was a nurse who tried to save Corporal Cirillo's life, Martin Magnan held the corporal's hand and Barbara Winters told Corporal Cirillo in the final moments of his life that he was loved.
We also remember all those who helped our community in various ways that day and thereafter. We thank them. We thank those who ran to Corporal Cirillo and tried to save him, as well as those who stood by him with love and compassion in his last moments.
Countless others, ordinary people and others in uniform, found themselves living an impossibly dangerous moment and acted with bravery and humanity to do whatever they could to help others. Ten years later, the healing continues. Some scars can be seen, others are invisible, but all are lasting. We never deny them. We recognize them and try to come together as a community to find healing and peace.
Canada's Parliament is the seat of our democracy. Any attack in this place is an attack on all Canadians. The safety of each and every one of us and all who visit us is a constant priority for our parliamentary community. We can also commit to doing our part to contribute to a respectful workplace and a community that cares for its members and leaves no one behind.
We recognize that the attack 10 years ago led to a loss of innocence. We cannot take it back, but we can move forward knowing we share a commitment to ensuring that Parliament Hill, our workplace, is safe and secure for all of us who work here and all Canadians who come here to see their democracy in action.
Thank you for your attention.