From Calgary to mourn the Queen, Alberta man lands in London to remember Her Majesty
He's halfway around the world, but Calgarian Tad Milmine says he's right where he's supposed to be to mark the Queen's death.
"I think I just wanted to be a part of history," Milmine told CTV News in a video call from London, England.
"I wanted to be in a spot in where I could say thank you to Her Majesty for her service, for being our Queen, for everything she has done -- not just for Canada, but for the world," Milmine says.
Milmine, who is a Calgary Police Service officer, says he bought a plane ticket to London as soon as he heard of Her Majesty's death last week. He's since been with the tens of thousands of mourners who have gathered to honour the fallen royal.
"(It's) just very somber. Everywhere you go, it's like there's no disturbances, there's no shouting. It's eerily calm considering there's so many people," Milmine says.
He was roadside as the Queen's coffin first arrived back at Buckingham Palace and he listened to the echoes of the drums, then the silent marching during the procession.
He was roadside as the Queen's coffin first arrived back at Buckingham Palace and he listened to the echoes of the drums, then the silent marching during the procession.
"I'm just trying to absorb as much as I can and reflect on her majesty's service," Milmine says, adding he's extended his trip to London in order to attend one of the viewing ceremonies to watch the funeral on Monday.
BOOKS OF CONDOLENCES
In Alberta, books of condolences have been set up in Calgary at both the McDougall Centre and at City Hall.
The province held a short accession ceremony for King Charles III Thursday afternoon, followed by the singing of God Save the King with Premier Jason Kenney, his cabinet ministers and Lt.-Gov. Salma Lakhani all in attendance.
The province held a short accession ceremony for King Charles III Thursday afternoon, followed by the singing of God Save the King with Premier Jason Kenney, his cabinet ministers and Lt.-Gov. Salma Lakhani all in attendance.
Kenney then reflected on the life and death of the Queen in a speech more than 15 minutes long in the Alberta legislature.
"While her portrait gazes over our proceedings today, as it has done for decades in this place, it is difficult to conjure the words adequately to express the grief that so many of us suffer at her loss," Kenney said.
"I must say very personally, her death has hit me harder than I expected -- as though I have lost a grandmother or a long-time friend," remarked the premier, in what will almost certainly be his last speech in the legislature as the leader of the UCP and the province.
Alberta will hold a ceremony for the Queen at the legislature on Monday morning between 10-11 a.m.
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