SENATORS’ STATEMENTS — Tragedy in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia

Honourable senators, I rise today to share with you the profound experience of visiting the community of Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, where I recently travelled on behalf of Speaker Gagné and the Senate of Canada. It was a bright day in the mountains that warmed my soul, and I wanted to carry the light back to this chamber with this statement.

I was welcomed by member of Parliament Bob Zimmer and his executive assistant, Heather McCracken, to his riding of Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies. With heavy hearts, we drove two hours from Fort St. John toward that beautiful town nestled at the foot of the Rockies — a place known for its majestic landscapes and the ancient footprints of the UNESCO Global Geopark and now also for the unspeakable day that befell Tumbler Ridge on February 10, 2026.

I arrived at the temporary constituency office of MP Bob Zimmer, who has become a true rock and anchor for his constituents. Bob worked in Tumbler Ridge as a teenager when the town was first built. Today, he serves it with an immeasurable level of genuine care that moved me so deeply. In that room, I sat with the families of the victims, and what happened in the hours that followed was a blessing on our heavy hearts that could not have been humanly imagined.

What I witnessed in that room was not just mourning but the truest reflection of grace, forgiveness and love. As I looked into the eyes of parents who have endured the unthinkable, they did not pull away. Instead, they opened their arms to me — a perfect stranger among family and friends of a tightly knit small community — and opened their hearts and stories of their beloved sons and daughters.

I was there to present the books of condolences and the tributes recorded in our Hansard. I told them then, and I say to you now: These are not merely documents. They are a permanent, official record that their loved ones’ names are etched into the history of Canada. They are a symbol of a nation’s embrace.

Let us read those names into the record once more:

Abel Mwansa Jr., 12 years old; Ezekiel Schofield, 13; Kylie May Smith, 12; Zoey Benoit, 12; Ticaria “Tiki” Lampert, 12; Shannda Aviugana-Durand, 39; Jennifer Jacobs, 39; and Emmett Jacobs, 11.

And let us hold survivors Maya Gebala and Paige Hoekstra in our daily thoughts and prayers as they walk the long road of recovery.

For everyone in Tumbler Ridge, there is much healing yet to do. We must remain alert and we must remain accountable. As the public inquiry moves forward, the calls from Mayor Darryl Krakowka and the people of Tumbler Ridge for better rural health care and mental health support must result in real, systemic change.

Honourable senators, let us use the power and resources we hold to ensure that “Tumbler Ridge Strong” is not just a phrase but a promise of our continued support.

Thank you.