Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was in Edmonton Saturday for a number of private events — including a meeting with the police officer injured during the suspected terrorist attacks three weeks ago.

Trudeau visited the Edmonton Police Service headquarters to meet Cst. Mike Chernyk, who went back to work this past week after being hit by a vehicle and suffering stab wounds to the face and neck.

 

“It was an extraordinary opportunity to sit down with Cst. Chernyk, with Mike, to hear about his experience, and mostly to be able to thank him,” Trudeau said. “The morning after the attack I was, like so many Canadians, watching online in disbelief at the footage of him being flung across the road, and then viciously attacked. It is a testament to his strength, but also to his training and to just the excellence of first responders right across this country that he was able to keep a cool head in just the most chaotic and violent of circumstances and keep Canadians safe. His actions at that moment were exemplary, and I told him so.”

United Conservative Party

Trudeau also spoke about the upcoming United Conservative Party election, and Jason Kenney’s comments against the federal government.

“I’m going to stay focused on working with provincial governments and serving our citizens. If other people want to pick fights, well, I think citizens have to ask themselves questions about what they want out of a government,” Trudeau said. “Do they want governments that actually defend their interests and work together, or do they want people to pick fights?”

Trudeau was also in Spruce Grove Friday night to support Brian Gold’s candidacy to fill the Member of Parliament seat Rona Ambrose left open.

With files from Jeremy Thompson