OTTAWA – The Parliament buildings are her favourite place in Ottawa. The war memorial a place she often visits. Former Yarmouth County resident Andrea d’Entremont – who now lives and works in Ottawa – describes the Oct. 22 shootings as shocking, upsetting and scary for residents of the nation’s capital.
“It’s very upsetting. I just can’t believe it’s happening in Ottawa,” said d’Entremont, who moved to Ottawa from West Pubnico a year-and-a-half ago.
“We’re just all in shock.”
A Canadian soldier on ceremonial guard at the National War Memorial in Ottawa was shot around 10 a.m. Eastern Time and Ottawa police have confirmed he has died of his injuries. Police have also confirmed a suspect is dead, but, as of 3 p.m. Eastern, downtown Ottawa was still under lockdown as police hunted for suspects.
D’Entremont said just two days ago she was having lunch across the street from the War Memorial and she said it is very upsetting that something so tragic has happened at the memorial, which means so much to the people of Ottawa and Canadians.
That Parliament was also targeted is equally as upsetting, she adds. D’Entremont grew up in Ottawa and once worked on Parliament Hill.
“I love it there, I love to visit,” she said, adding, Ottawa has always felt like a very safe place. The day of the shooting, however, she said she was even nervous at the thought of walking to where her vehicle is parked.
“People are very upset and scared,” Melissa Churchill, another former Yarmouth resident, said early in the afternoon Oct. 22. Churchill’s wife works at Statistics Canada, a few kilometres from Parliament Hill, and her office was placed on lockdown, as were other buildings, offices, schools, etc.
Churchill said she was really anxious to hear from her babysitter because she was bringing their daughter to a bookstore and it was a relief when she finally connected with the sitter.
Tara Currie once worked as a reporter with the Yarmouth Vanguard. She now works for the Ontario government and her Ottawa building – just outside the downtown core -was also placed in lockdown.
“My family is safe, but my daughter's school is in lockdown as well,” she said early in the afternoon, as she expressed disbelief over what was taking place in Ottawa.
“Parliament Hill is usually so open. You can walk around with your family, and we visit there on a regular basis,” Currie said. “It's frightening to think of what's happening there.”
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