Two Central Alberta MPs say they're confident politicians will find a way to balance heavier security in Parliament, yet still give Canadians as much freedom and access to Parliament as possible in the wake of tragic events in Ottawa and Quebec.
Wild Rose MP Blake Richards and Red Deer MP Earl Dreeshen both made that point during interviews with the Gazette in the wake of last week's attacks on servicemen and parliamentarians.
On Wednesday, a reservist guarding the National War Memorial was killed by a gunman who was later killed as he fired shots in the Parliament buildings.
Before that, on Monday, a man reported to be a sympathizer with the religious extremist group ISIS mowed two soldiers down with a vehicle in Quebec, killing one and injuring another.
Both local MPs were in a caucus meeting in the Parliament's Centre Block, just alongside the Hall of Honour when shots rang out at around 10 a.m. Ottawa time. The lockdown didn't end until around 8 p.m. Ottawa time.
“We did hear noise,” said Dreeshen. “There's a lot of construction that is happening around the House of Commons. You never thought too much about the first little noise, but then you started to hear some people yelling outside and then we started to hear the gunshots. So it was at that time that we took a defensive position. Then we continued to hear more and more gunshots.”
Richards started out in the caucus meeting but got separated from his colleagues. He declines to say specifically where he was, but he had a bird's-eye view of the situation.
“I witnessed first-hand courageous, brave acts of these individuals,” said Richards. “It made this experience a bit more challenging for myself. It certainly was an experience that I don't wish on anyone, to have shots fired in a building and you're in the building and don't know what is happening.”
Dreeshen was among the MPs who piled furniture against the doors of the room to barricade them.
“You just wanted to make sure that you had taken as many precautions as you possibly could, and if that meant just slowing somebody down if they managed to make it into the room until people could do something about it,” said Dreeshen.
MPs in the caucus room armed themselves in a fashion.
“We have some 10-foot flagpoles that break in the middle, so we had those as weapons if someone was to have come in,” he said. “We understood that there was trouble but we also understood that we could be the first line of defence for our other colleagues if something else had happened. We had to prepare ourselves for whatever might have happened.”
Dreeshen says at one point there was a knock on the door – someone identified themselves as RCMP. There was a debate among MPs as to whether to let them in, in case they weren't actually RCMP.
Both men praised the response of officers and security service personnel who responded.
“They just did a great job,” he said. “We're so proud of them and their heroic nature.”
Richards and Dreeshen tried to let family and staff know as soon as they could that they were safe and to ensure their staff were safe.
“After a couple of hours your batteries go dead and that's the end of it,” Dreeshen says with a laugh.
Richards says he didn't have any “communications devices” but was eventually able to get a message out to staff and family that he was safe.
The wait wasn't easy.
“There was no food. There was a washroom just outside the door and the security guards were there so they were able to use the washroom facilities,” Dreeshen says.
Both MPs passed the time talking with colleagues and occasionally getting updates on the situation from the TV, although Dreeshen says that wasn't always helpful.
“We had actually heard a lot more. We had heard the things exactly from the security folks and a lot of what we were hearing on television was not accurate so we'd kind of groan and (say to each other) ‘oh yeah, sure, that's happened'.”
Richards and Dreeshen were asked if they were ever scared during the ordeal.
“When the gunfire was happening, yeah, I personally was scared because you didn't know (what was happening),” Dreeshen says. “There were dozens of shells fired.
“You don't know what has come in – whether it's one person and then security that's dealing with them or whether it's a whole bunch of people and you might not have security left to help.”
“I think in a moment like that one does what they have to do and I know that afterwards, you reflect on it, but I'm hesitant to say – to use the word ‘afraid,' because I know that's what the individual wanted,” Richards says.
“He wanted to create fear. He wanted to make us afraid, and you know what? He failed. Canada will not tolerate those kinds of cowardly acts.
“And all he did yesterday was strengthen the resolve of every member of Parliament and everyone in Canada to ensure that we do everything we can to protect our country from people who would commit such heinous and cowardly acts.
“That's the takeaway for me. We opened Parliament today as usual and I can tell you that the co-operation amongst all political parties that you saw is indicative of the fact that as a nation, we're together, and we're strong and we're united and we'll remain that way, despite what any individual might try to do – to create something otherwise,” Richards says.
“It was a difficult day,” Dreeshen says. “But it sort of serves as a grim reminder that we're not immune to these horrendous acts. It certainly could have been much worse if it wasn't for the brave men and women in uniform who guard and protect us.”
Richards is grateful for all those who prayed for him and sent well wishes his way.
“Particularly when I think of my hometown of Olds, I've got a lot of family and a lot of friends throughout the constituency who I know were praying for my safety. I just want to say my thanks for those prayers and those thoughts,” he says.
Both men say the federal government will do a careful balancing act between providing greater security yet providing as much freedom as possible to Canadians.
