Thursday, June 25, 2026
ADVT 
National

Canada Must Guard Against Terrorism: PM Harper

IANS, 24 Jun, 2015 12:56 PM
    Canada is not immune to the threat of terrorism and so "continued vigilance is essential", Prime Minister Stephen Harper has said.
     
    Harper made the remarks on Tuesday while laying a wreath in the Hall of Honour to mark the "National day of Remembrance for Victims of Terrorism" observed to honour those killed in the 1985 Air India bombing.
     
    An Air India flight flying from Toronto to London crashed off the coast of Ireland on June 23, 1985, killing all 329 people on board. Most of the dead were Canadians of Indian origin. 
     
    Sikh extremists were blamed for the bombing.
     
    Harper said he cannot "help but cast his mind back to the Canadians who perished in Air India Flight 182 and in the World Trade Centre attacks... and to the many terrorist activities foiled by the vigilance of Canadian security agencies.
     
    "The recollections serve as a reminder that Canada is not immune to the threat of terrorism and that continued vigilance is essential."
     
    Addressing a gathering in parliament building here, he said it was a terror attack that killed the 329 passengers and crew members aboard Air India. 
     
    "On this sombre anniversary, we stand in solidarity with the friends and families who lost loved ones in that heinous attack and honour those lost.
     
    "We were deeply moved by this solemn tribute as well as by our meeting the kin of the victims," he added.
     
    Among the kin of the victims present was Susheel Gupta, whose mother Ramvati died in the bombing. Gupta said he regretted that his children would not be able to meet their grandmother.
     
    Meanwhile, a memorial service in Ireland was attended by India's Minister of State for External Affairs V.K. Singh, Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan and Canadian Minister of Justice Peter MacKay.

    MORE National ARTICLES

    2014 The Year in Canadian Politics; Scandal, Labour & Sweeping Change

    2014 The Year in Canadian Politics; Scandal, Labour & Sweeping Change
    Tim Schouls, political studies instructor at Capilano University put it blunt when he said, “In the general sense, the Conservatives are in a bit of trouble,” citing a number of areas, most especially the Senate scandal, which choked up national headlines back in 2012 when the entire situation unraveled at the behest of the work of auditor general, Michael Ferguson.

    2014 The Year in Canadian Politics; Scandal, Labour & Sweeping Change

    Liquor Will Be Sold In BC Grocery Stores Starting April 1, 2015

    Liquor Will Be Sold In BC Grocery Stores Starting April 1, 2015
    Attorney General Suzanne Antonsays government-run liquor stores will now be permitted to open on Sunday's, with longer hours and the stores will offer chilled products, similar to private liquor outlets.

    Liquor Will Be Sold In BC Grocery Stores Starting April 1, 2015

    Two RCMP Officers In BC Won't Face Charges After High-speed Chase And Arrest

    Two RCMP Officers In BC Won't Face Charges After High-speed Chase And Arrest
    VICTORIA — British Columbia's criminal justice branch has opted not to charge two RCMP officers who were involved in a high-speed chase between Fernie and Sparwood in southeastern B.C. earlier this year.

    Two RCMP Officers In BC Won't Face Charges After High-speed Chase And Arrest

    Big, Furry Suspect Breaks Into Bins In Port Coquitlam, RCMP Issue Bear Warning

    Big, Furry Suspect Breaks Into Bins In Port Coquitlam, RCMP Issue Bear Warning
    RCMP say the suspect allegedly damaged the fence, then searched through several garbage bins during the caper.

    Big, Furry Suspect Breaks Into Bins In Port Coquitlam, RCMP Issue Bear Warning

    Crown Says Conviction In Fatal BC Ferry Sinking Should Stand

    Crown Says Conviction In Fatal BC Ferry Sinking Should Stand
    VANCOUVER — The Crown is asking the B.C. Court of Appeal to uphold a mariner's conviction in connection with the fatal sinking of a passenger ferry.

    Crown Says Conviction In Fatal BC Ferry Sinking Should Stand

    Vancouver Police Officer Under Investigation For Driving Drunk In Delta

    Vancouver Police Officer Under Investigation For Driving Drunk In Delta
    LADNER, B.C. — The conduct of a Vancouver police officer is being probed after police in Delta, B.C., determined he had consumed alcohol.

    Vancouver Police Officer Under Investigation For Driving Drunk In Delta