Sunday January 12, 2020 ~ NATIONAL
by Mary Brooke ~ West Shore Voice News
Today Sunday January 12, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attended a vigil in Edmonton for the victims of Flight 752.
Trudeau attended to pay his respects and mourn the loss of the victims of the plane crash in Iran and gave a speech at the start of a series of eulogies from dignitaries as well as colleagues, friends and family of the 30 Iranian Canadians who were part of the Edmonton community.
University of Alberta President Dr David Turpin hosted the event where about 2,500 people attended.
Canada’s Prime Minister spoke about one of the deceased who had received his career qualifications only a few weeks ago “and was finally coming here, for good, to build the best possible future for his kids” except that he was on Flight 752, leaving his family for a future without him.
“Friends, colleagues, professors and students here at U of A grappling to make sense of the brilliant minds taken from us,” said Justin Trudeau, remarking upon the loss of knowledge, teaching and innovation.
He said that lives were “cut tragically short”, saying that “family after family is mourning the loss of a loved one not just starting their own lives but building this country.” Hooking the imagery to numbers of those lost on Frlight 752, Trudeau said there are 57 stories (Iranian-Canadians), 138 stories (those returning to Canada on the flight), 176 stories (total number of people on the plane) — that are of hope, strength, confidence in a better future. “A future we all share that is now diminished.”
“Lives were extinguished but countless more victims will suffer around the world for years to come,” said Trudeau. The Prime Minister said: “It is my sincere hope that you can find some comfort in knowing that all Canadians stand with you. That is what makes us strong. I am so deeply sorry for your loss.”
“This tragedy should never have occurred,” said Prime Minister Trudeau. “Building our lives together, that’s what Canada is.” How grateful we are for you, who are still with us. You give us strength to stand together as a nation, you give us purpose to pursue justice and accountability for you.”
“We will continue to work with our partners to ensure that a full transparent investigation is conducted. We will not rest until there are answers, until there is justice and accountability,” said Trudeau at the conclusion of his speech.
Held at the Saville Community Sports Centre in Edmonton, the overflow gathering also included speeches from Alberta Premier Jason Kenney and Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson.
Alberta Premier Kenney noted the magnitude of so many lives lost in one event and called the Flight 752 disaster an “epic demonstration of human folly” and toward the end of his remarks quoted from Shakepeare’s great tragedy Romeo and Juliet: “…death lies on them like an untimely frost upon the sweetest flowers of all the field”.
“Their collective stories speak of the best and brightest in our community, dedicated educators, successful professionals, talented entrepreneurs, gifted students, loving couples, parents and children,” said Kenney. He called Edmonton still a “small town” at a population of just over one million people. Many people can cite direct or indirect connections to the people who were lost, he noted.
Premier Kenney said it was an atrocity. He suggested that “everyone shares the understanding that the city and province suffered a terrible loss”, going on to say that “whether taken by incompetence, by accident or by design, we know that everyone on board that plane were victims of a chain of actions rooted in t he all too human failure to resolve conflicts peacefully.”
Kenney then pitched to Trudeau that results will be expected on the international front “to learn what really caused this appalling destruction of innocent lives”.
There are about 15,000 Iranian-Canadians in Alberta. Kenney noted an “extraordinary intellect and culture of education in the large and growing Persian presence at the University of Alberta”. As a legacy “we need to build on the brilliant presence of researchers, academics, students and professors of this place”.
Kenney noted the irony of how violence in a the country they had chosen to leave behind is what took their lives after they had found peace in Canada.
Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson spoke briefly and said about the victims of Flight 752: “We love them as friends because we share community.” He noted that the sheer size of the crowd that showed up for the vigil spoke volumes about supporting fellow Edmontonians. “Stories make real the staggering number of lives lost — with faces, names and memories,” said Iveson.
Two Iranian members of the University of Alberta academic community spoke, including a quote from 13th-century Persian poet Rumi: “Goodbyes are only for those who see with their eyes.”
One of the U of A speakers announced the goal of establishing a scholarship of $20,000 each year for two Iranian post-secondary students, to be made possible with a $1 million endowment to which he invited the full community to contribute. The scholarship will “enable the next generation of beacons of light”.
The eulogies — for each of the 30 victims — continued for over two hours. The recurring underlying theme was the positive commitments by talented and intelligent people from Iran who had chosen Canada as their new home.
This event will likely impact most Canadians as to the impact of immigration in so many ways upon the ‘new Canada’ that we are building as a modern western nation.