Ottawa shooting: B.C. Premier Christy Clark remains quiet on warning
B.C. Premier Christy Clark is refusing to reveal details about a security tip she and other members of the Legislature received in the days leading up to yesterday's shooting in Ottawa.
Clark says she never talks about her or the Legislature's security issues because it's not good practice and doesn't make the buildings safer.
On Wednesday morning, House Clerk Craig James revealed members of the B.C. Legislature were contacted by security officials about concerns of an unspecified threat several days before the shooting at the National War Memorial and Parliament Hill.
James would not speak in detail about the non-specific threat, but told reporters "steps were taken."
"We are aware and have been aware of a heightened concern from entities in Ottawa for least a few days," said James.
"We didn't receive caution, we received information that there may be a problem...We had discussions with certain members of the assembly to be prudent and keep them informed."
No threats in B.C.
B.C.'s Attorney General Suzanne Anton says there have been no security threats in B.C., but an emergency operations centre has been activated, to gather and disseminate information about any potential threats.
Anton says RCMP have stepped up security monitoring in this province, because of yesterday's shootings in Ottawa.
"The police are watching so they do know who a lot of the players are who can be a risk to all of us, so they're paying attention to that. I'm very confident in what the RCMP can do in terms of their intelligence-gathering and in terms of the security they provide to us in British Columbia."
Yesterday, the Legislature was open for politicians and staff, but was closed to the public except for those already booked on a tour.
The deputy clerk Kate Ryan-Lloyd said the situation remains the same on Thursday.
"Individuals and groups with pre-arranged meetings on site, or pre-scheduled tours, including school groups, will be able to access the parliament buildings. However, public access to the parliament buildings will continue to be closed today."
Legislature security stepped up
Meanwhile, the Legislature's sergeant-at-arms is recommending a metal detector be set up for visitors entering the building.
Premier Christy Clark said there would now be a full review of security at the B.C. Legislature, saying it was important to find a balance between necessary concerns over security and being "very careful not to shut the public out."
"We don't want the Legislature fenced in and shut off. We want to ensure the public continues to have access to these institutions," she said.
"If we cut off our democratic institutions from the public, it means the people who practise terror have won a victory and we cannot allow that to happen."
Corporal Nathan Cirillo of Hamilton, Ontario, was shot by and killed by a gunman while standing guard at the National War Memorial on Wednesday morning.
The gunman, Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, was shot dead a few minutes later by security nearby in the Centre Block on Parliament Hill.
Zehaf-Bibeau was charged with robbery but convicted of uttering threats following an incident in Vancouver in 2011.
Cirollo is the second member of the Armed Forces this week to die in an apparently random, murderous attack, just as Canadian war planes deploy to Iraq.
