A day after shots rang out in Ottawa, and left many Canadians shaken after the death of a Canadian Forces reservist, some Edmontonians were taking the time to pay tribute to the tragedy.

On Thursday morning, two veterans from the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry stood guard at the cenotaph at Edmonton’s City Hall in an impromptu tribute.

“I was going to pay my respects to the members that we lost,” Ret. Cpl. Eric Hjalmarson said.

“To show our solidarity and let these people know I will not be changing my lifestyle, I will not bend. The colours on the Canadian flag do not run.”

Hjalmarson, and another veteran stood guard in honour of Cpl. Nathan Frank Cirillo, who died Wednesday after being shot while taking his turn as part of this fall’s Ceremonial Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Ottawa.

Cirillo, 24, who had served with the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise’s), an infantry reserve based in Hamilton, was the second member of the Canadian Forces to die in an apparent attack.

On Monday, Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent, 53, died after Martin Couture-Rouleau drove his car into two uniformed soldiers in a parking lot in St. Jean Sur Richelieu, Quebec.

In both cases, the suspects in the attacks were killed – Couture-Rouleau shot and killed after his car ran off the road following his attempt to flee from police.

The gunman in Wednesday’s attack, identified as Michael Joseph Zehaf-Bibeau, 32, was shot and killed by the Sergeant-at-Arms Kevin Vickers after the suspect ran inside the Parliament buildings.

The impromptu tribute in Edmonton came while the flags at City Hall and Government House were at half mast. The City of Edmonton also announced Thursday afternoon that the lights on the High Level Bridge would be red and white Thursday and Friday night.

 

 

However, the incidents have shaken some Edmontonians – Jeannine Arseneault saw the two veterans at the City Hall cenotaph Thursday, and said she appreciated the gesture.

“It gave me shivers to see them do this,” Arseneault said.

Arseneault told CTV News Wednesday’s shooting had rattled her so much that she had removed her ‘Support the Troops’ pin at one point, saying the incident has changed Canada for her.

“I’m still in Canada, but to me it’s not the same.”

Meanwhile, another passerby said the incident had him on heightened alert, but didn’t change their behaviour.

“I’m looking over my shoulder a little bit more,” Rob Farmer said.

“We have to continue going about the way we live our lives, we can’t let people intimidate us into not being Canadian.”

Others were finding different ways to show off their patriotism and support for Canada – Chris Robertson waved his Canadian flag at the corner of Highway 21 and Highway 15 in Fort Saskatchewan following the shootings in Ottawa.

Robertson said he wanted to send a message that Canadians will not be intimidated.

“Terrorists may knock us down, but we’ll get back up,” Robertson said. “We’ll come at you like the seventh game of the Stanley Cup [finals].”

On Wednesday night, the lights at ATB Place in downtown Edmonton were red and white, the company’s president said it was a tribute to those who protect Canada.

With files from Dan Grummett