Canadians value law and order very highly; it’s part of our national culture.

Early in our history, North West Mounted Police established themselves across the Prairies before the arrival of the European settlers to ensure that the law and peace were upheld and respected.

Peter Schiemann, Brock Myrol, Anthony Gordon and Leo Johnston were following that proud tradition when they were senselessly murdered. There are no words that can ever heal the pain of this tragedy, but I hope their loved ones can take some solace in the deeply felt regrets and compassion that all Albertans felt and continue to feel surrounding this terrible incident.

In many ways, the men and women of the RCMP and our other police and peace services are ordinary people: husbands, wives, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, parents. But in one particular way, they are truly extraordinary: for the sake of the safety of their fellow Canadians, they risk everything, every day. Sometimes, as in Mayerthorpe five years ago, they pay a terrible price for their altruism.

For their sacrifice, we are eternally grateful. May their friends and families take comfort in the knowledge that their loss was not in vain, but upheld the highest ideals of our civilization.

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