'Deepest grief': Jason Kenney pays tribute to Queen Elizabeth II amid death
Alberta's premier expressed his "deepest grief and sorrow" on Thursday amid the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.
Britain's longest-reigning monarch and Canada's head of state died Thursday after 70 years on the throne. She was 96.
"The long and glorious reign of Canada’s Sovereign has ended," Jason Kenney said in a statement.
"For almost all of us, she is the only Canadian Monarch we have ever known. In an ever-changing world, she was for us a bedrock of stability and continuity, a ceaselessly gracious and dignified presence in our lives.
"Today’s sad news is for me and for many a terrible shock, as something permanent in our lives has given way."
Kenney said on her many visits to Alberta, Her late Majesty demonstrated a "deep affection for this place and its people."
"Her name will live on forever here, on schools and streets, roadways and buildings, and indeed Mount Queen Elizabeth and the Queen Elizabeth Range of our majestic Rocky Mountains."
Alberta's Lt. Governor Salma Lakhani, meanwhile, says she and her husband are joining all Albertans in remembering everything the Queen meant to Canada.
"Her late Majesty was a part of our shared identity as Canadians. Through the decades, the Queen’s presence was woven into the very fabric of our society. Her late Majesty reigned with grace, dignity and compassion. She joined Canadians in our triumphs, shared in our grief and steeled our resolve in times of trial. Above all, the Queen was an ever-present symbol of the valued principles, attitudes and strengths we share as Canadians and as members of the Commonwealth family," said Lakhani.
“Albertans were privileged to welcome Her late Majesty to our beautiful province on numerous occasions over the years. We will treasure The Queen’s legacy in Alberta and will strive to honour the principles of service and citizenship that were hallmarks of Her late Majesty’s long and glorious reign.
"On behalf of all Albertans, I extend deepest sympathy to His Majesty King Charles and all members of the Royal Family."
Buckingham Palace said earlier Thursday that the Queen's doctors had raised concerns about the monarch's health, and recommended she remain under "medical supervision."
Her family rushed to her side at Balmoral Castle, her summer residence in Scotland.
Later, the palace announced she had died peacefully, and that the King and The Queen Consort would remain at Balmoral for the evening with plans to return to London tomorrow.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says The Queen was a “constant presence” in the lives of Canadians.
“Her service to Canadians will forever remain an important part of our country’s history,” Trudeau said in a tweet.
He said it was with the “heaviest of hearts” that the federal government learned of her death. The news came amid a federal cabinet retreat in Vancouver, and has prompted a halt in those meetings.
Queen Elizabeth II was the longest-reigning monarch in British history.
Her husband, Prince Philip, passed away in April of last year.
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