As Cpl. Nathan Cirillo made his final journey home Friday, thousands of Canadians lined the roads and highway overpasses from Ottawa to Hamilton, Ont., to salute the young soldier gunned down at the National War Memorial.
As the hearse carrying Cirillo’s remains travelled along the Highway of Heroes, a stretch of Highway 401 that saw many repatriations of Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan, onlookers waved Canadian flags, wiped their tears and clapped for the 24-year-old reservist.
The crowds included Canadian veterans, police officers, firefighters, military families and those who simply wanted to pay their respects. Some sang ‘O Canada’ as the hearse passed by.
For more than 500 kilometres, other vehicles respectfully kept their distance from the motorcade or pulled over until the hearse was out of sight.
When the procession arrived at a Hamilton funeral home shortly after 8 p.m., the large crowd that had been waiting outside for hours softly sang the national anthem and applauded.
As members of Cirillo’s regiment, the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, slowly carried the casket inside, muffled cries were heard. There were many children in the crowd, holding Canadian flags and wearing the country’s colours.
Cirillo was fatally shot while standing guard at the National War Memorial in Ottawa on Wednesday morning. Good Samaritans tried in vain to resuscitate him, but his injuries were too severe.
The shooter was later gunned down inside Parliament.
‘Canada’s son’
In their first statement since the tragedy, Cirillo’s family said he was a “fearless,” proud member of the military.
“On Oct. 22, we lost a son, a brother, a father, a friend and a national hero,” the family said in a statement delivered by Capt. Robert Andrushko.
Andrushko was joined by Cirillo’s stepfather, Victor Briffa, who did not speak to reporters outside the family home.
“We’re not only mourning as a family, but also a country,” the family said. “When we lost Nathan, we all mourned as one. There are no words to express the sadness that has fallen upon us all.
“Nathan was Canada’s son. He belonged to all of us.”
The family said it is taking comfort in the support from Canadians across the country, as well and the Canadian Armed Forces and the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.
“Nathan loved the army,” his family said. “He had a strong and unwavering devotion to duty. He understood what it meant to sustain freedom. He was fearless. Nathan would have done his duty, even if he knew this tragedy was coming.”
Cirillo's funeral will be held at Christ's Church Cathedral in Hamilton at noon on Tuesday, but it is not yet known whether it will be open to the public.
Public visitations will be hosted at the Markey-Dermody funeral home on Sunday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., and Monday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
