OMM Redaksiyası
Two people were killed and two others injured after a car struck pedestrians during a community walk marking Canada’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in British Columbia, according to the BBC.
The incident took place at about 10:25 local time in a parking lot on Tsawwassen First Nation land, south of Vancouver and near the US-Canada border, the Delta Police Department said.
Police said the driver may have been experiencing a medical emergency before the collision. They said there was no continuing threat to public safety and that they did not believe the incident was connected to the national day of remembrance.
The two injured people were taken to hospital for treatment. Police officers remained at the scene investigating and asked residents to avoid the area.
“Our thoughts are with the families, loved ones, and all those affected by this tragic incident,” Delta Police said.
Reports from CBC News journalists at the scene said more than a dozen ambulances responded to the incident.
Community event commemorated residential school victims
Tsawwassen First Nation had planned a community walk followed by the unveiling of a house post in honour of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The event was scheduled to run from 09:30 to 13:00 local time.
Canada’s energy minister, Tim Hodgson, said in a post on “X” that he had attended the walk and shared two images from the event. The post later appeared to have been deleted, and it was unclear whether he was still there when the collision occurred.
The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation honours victims and survivors of Canada’s residential school system, which sought to forcibly assimilate Indigenous children.
National day established in 2021
Canada began observing the holiday in 2021 after the discovery of unmarked burial sites at former residential schools. The day coincides with Orange Shirt Day, an Indigenous-led remembrance initiative honouring children who went missing or died at the schools.
Tsawwassen First Nation’s website says the community has 491 members. About half live on Tsawwassen lands, while others reside in nearby areas, including Bellingham, Washington, across the US border.
