Canada PoliticsConservative MP safe after Boston Marathon explosions, political parties react
Tragedy has struck at the storied Boston Marathon.
At about 2:50 p.m. Monday afternoon, 2 separate explosions have killed at least 2 people and injured almost 50 at the finish line of the annual race.
[ Related: Two blasts rock Boston Marathon, at least 2 killed, 23 injured ]
There were about 2,000 Canadians registered for the race; one of those Canadians was Conservative MP Ryan Leef. He spoke to Canoe.ca.
"I didn’t hear the explosion. We heard the emergency personnel responding and they were coming from every direction. I probably had 1,000 runners around me at that point," he said.
"For some people, Boston will be the greatest accomplishment of their lives. People train for a lifetime to run Boston. It is one of the oldest marathons on record. People put a lot of hard work and effort into it. It is a celebration for Boston, it is a celebration for the community, it is a celebration for the runners and their families. And to have it absolutely stripped away like that, it is really tragic."
Former Cabinet Minister Stockwell Day was also registered to race, but CBC News is reporting that he did not attend.
Meanwhile, back in Ottawa, Prime Minister Stephen Harper released a statement on the incident.
“I was shocked to learn of the explosions that occurred today during the running of the Boston Marathon. It is truly a sad day when an event as inspiring as the Boston Marathon is clouded by such senseless violence.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with those injured or affected by this horrible incident. We stand with our American neighbours in this difficult time.”
Canadians in Boston requiring emergency assistance should contact the Consulate General at (617) 247-5100. Friends and relatives seeking information on Canadian citizens believed to be in the area should contact 1-800-387-3124 or sos@international.gc.ca.”
The New Democrats posted this statement to their website:
New Democrats are shocked and saddened by the senseless violence we have witnessed at the Boston Marathon in Massachusetts today. We join all Canadians in condemning this act in the strongest possible terms.
The Boston Marathon is an event that brings people from all around the world together. That it was targeted in this way is particularly horrifying.
On behalf of all New Democrats, I want to express our heartfelt condolences to the victims, their families and to the people of the United States of America on this difficult day.
And, on his first day as Liberal leader, Justin Trudeau tweeted this:
Saddened by the news coming out of Boston – my thoughts and prayers are with all of those affected.
— Justin Trudeau, MP (@JustinTrudeau) April 15, 2013
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