News Story Of The Year In Canada
The Canadian story of the year must go to the shooting of Nathan Cirillo, a sentry on guard at the National War Memorial in Ottawa, and the subsequent effort to try and do damage within the House Of Commons.
The day that Cpl Nathan Cirillo, a member of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders was gunned down at the War Memorial as he stood guard , brought Canada out of an age of innocence into a world where the threat of terrorism has become a factor every day.
Cirillo was shot at the memorial by Michael Zehaf Bibeau a Canadian born terrorist, who, following the initial shooting, then proceeded to the East block in an attempt to shoot anyone connected with government.
Fortunately for the members of parliament and Canadians in general, Kevin Vickers, an ex RCMP member and Sergeant at Arms, was able to shoot Bibeau before he was able to unleash a further killing spree.
Canadians had become accustomed to a parliament where openness was the theme and that all ended on that date.
It was the second attack on a Canadian in uniform in a week as Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent was killed when Martin Couture-Rouleau deliberately drove his car into Vincent and another Canadian Armed Forces man in uniform at a Quebec shopping centre parking lot.
Those events, along with the word that several Canadians had joined ISIS and were serving their interests, brought home the fact that our country is no longer immune from the ravages of terrorism the world over.
Countries all over the world suddenly came to the realization that Canada, formerly considered as a safe haven from this kind of conduct, had entered a new era.
2014 will go down as the year that Canada lo0st its innocence entered a new age on the world’s stage.
I’m Meisner and that’s one man’s opinion.
Comments
The news story of the year is subjective; there’s no right or wrong, just different perspectives.
My view is that the Supreme Court of Canada decision in Tsilhqot’in vs British Columbia, which established aboriginal title, is going to create long term unpredictable impacts on our society and is the real story of the year for 2014. I call it the gift that keeps on giving (if you’re a reporter). Our children and grandchildren will be dealing with the implementation of that decision.
The Site C build decision will generate a lot of press in 2015, and will the end of the LNG dream be the non-story of 2015? With natural gas dropping below $3 to end the year, the future for this resource doesn’t look bright.
That said, there’s no doubt this is one of the best places in the world to live for many reasons. Happy New Year.
CL
I have to agree with canislupus. The incidents in Ottawa was an isolated affair. To classify it as a terrorist attack is a media stretch.
Cheers
Anyone who does not take a group seriously when they say what there plans are for a country, is a foolish person. Al-taqiyya is an acceptable behavior to get the end means.
‘Aboriginal title’ is catch phrase just about as ambiguous as others of its ilk. Like ‘distinct society’, ‘sovereignty association’, ‘value added’, or even the grandaddy of them all, ‘anti-Semitism’. It has not been clearly defined in a way that those taking a position for or against it can ever readily agree or disagree on, because there’s still no way they can ever determine what they’re agreeing or disagreeing about. It’s taken to mean different things by different people. In any case, Parliament can change the law if it doesn’t agree with the Supreme Court’s interpretation of what it is.
Parliament can’t bring back to life the two soldiers who were murdered by those with a political agenda they hoped to further through a terrorist act, however. Nor in its efforts to prevent similar actions from occurring again by attempting to have greater security for less freedom that we might eventually end up having neither. So if we’re picking news stories of the year, I think Ben’s choice would be mine too.
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