Tuesday, July 7, 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

    Harper/Mulroney relationship appears icy once again after former PM's slams

    Harper/Mulroney relationship appears icy once again after former PM's slams
    OTTAWA - What had been a renewed political friendship between Stephen Harper and Brian Mulroney could be back on the rocks.

    Harper/Mulroney relationship appears icy once again after former PM's slams

    Poor Handling Of Seized Guns, Drugs Could Endanger Criminal Court Cases

    Poor Handling Of Seized Guns, Drugs Could Endanger Criminal Court Cases
    OTTAWA - An internal federal audit says court cases against accused criminals could be tossed out because of improper control and handling of seized goods — from drugs to firearms — by Canada's border agency.

    Poor Handling Of Seized Guns, Drugs Could Endanger Criminal Court Cases

    Economists question new August job numbers after last month's botched effort

    Economists question new August job numbers after last month's botched effort
    OTTAWA - Canada's economy unexpectedly shed jobs in August due to heavy losses in the private sector, raising the eyebrows of economists who widely expected a modest gain in Statistics Canada's flagship monthly report.

    Economists question new August job numbers after last month's botched effort

    Liberals want hearings on Islamic radicals who have returned to Canada

    Liberals want hearings on Islamic radicals who have returned to Canada
    OTTAWA - MPs should urgently study the issue of Islamic radicals returning to Canada from foreign battlefields, says the Liberal public safety critic.

    Liberals want hearings on Islamic radicals who have returned to Canada

    Canada Sending Several Dozen Military Advisers To Iraq As NATO Ramps Up Defences

    Canada Sending Several Dozen Military Advisers To Iraq As NATO Ramps Up Defences
    Prime Minister Stephen Harper quietly bowed out of the NATO Summit on Friday, announcing a commitment of military advisers for Iraq but skipping a photo-op meant as a display of solidarity in the face of growing international threats in eastern Europe and the Middle East.

    Canada Sending Several Dozen Military Advisers To Iraq As NATO Ramps Up Defences

    DFO mapping ocean floor of B.C. to prep for potential tanker spills

    DFO mapping ocean floor of B.C. to prep for potential tanker spills
    VANCOUVER - Fisheries and Oceans Canada is looking for someone to map the ocean floor near the British Columbia coast, an area it says could be affected by spills with the expected increase in tanker traffic.

    DFO mapping ocean floor of B.C. to prep for potential tanker spills