May 1, 2020

OTTAWA—There are no words that can express the sorrow and pain of losing a loved one. Today, we grieve the loss of six members from the Canadian Armed Forces. They perished in the crash of their CH-148 Cyclone Helicopter Wednesday afternoon during a training exercise off the shores of Greece.

Our heart goes out to their families and to all those who are affected by this tragic accident. It is even more tragic, so soon after last week’s horrific shooting that it is Nova Scotia and Halifax, their home base, who are asked to bear this burden again.

Today, Canadians are standing with the grieving families, with the crew of HMCS Fredericton, the members of 423 Squadron and of 12 Wing Shearwater and with all the members of our Armed Forces.

The men and women that serve in uniform for Canada never fail to answer the call of duty. They are doing so right now here in the homeland helping with the fight against the virus, and they do so abroad strengthening alliances and protecting our liberties.

We owe them and their families an immense debt of gratitude. I hope they can all find a bit of comfort in knowing that the entire nation shares their loss.

Sincere condolences.

Julie Payette

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Please note that the text above is a transcript of the video available at https://bit.ly/2KSLBUk.

Media information:

Natalie Babin Dufresne
Rideau Hall Press Office
343-548-1865
natalie.babindufresne@gg.ca

Ashlee Smith
Rideau Hall Press Office
343-548-1857
ashlee.smith@gg.ca           

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