It has been a year since the terrible tragedy of the downing of Flight PS752. On January 8th, 2020, our community and other communities across Canada were stunned and deeply saddened to learn of this horrific event and the death of so many of our beloved community members and friends.
All of North Vancouver, indeed all of Canada, shared in the shock and grief felt by the Iranian Canadian community. In the months following the tragedy, Canadians mourned together. Our community was shattered by the senseless loss of life. The grief and anguish that families, and our community as a whole experienced, remain with us a full year after the tragedy.
Certainly, this past year has offered further challenges for our community, our country and our world - as we have worked to confront the threat of COVID-19. However, through these challenging times Canada has not forgotten its promise to the families of those who perished on that flight: we are determined to assure accountability, transparency and justice for all those who died and for their loved ones who seek answers and closure.
In December, the report on the Prime Minister’s Special Advisor on the destruction of PS752, Ralph Goodale, was completed and released. Representatives of the Federal Government met with the families of the victims of Flight PS752, to provide an overview of this report. The report synthesized all available knowledge of the tragic shooting down of the civilian aircraft over Iranian airspace, including information from the International Coordination and Response Group (comprising the five nations most affected by the incident) and the Canadian task force providing forensic and investigative information.
The report underlined the fact that Canada will continue to push the Government of Iran to ensure it provides a transparent and fulsome final report and that the Iranian Government commits to providing reparations. The Government of Canada will continue to work to ensure those responsible are held to account and that we ensure justice for the families of victims.
In addition to our commitment to working to ensure accountability on the part of Iran, the Government of Canada has also committed to working with others in the international community to prevent such atrocious acts from occurring again in future.
I join with the Iranian Canadian community of North Vancouver – and with North Vancouverites more generally - in marking this solemn occasion. We remember and celebrate the lives of those we lost on PS752.
In solidarity,
Jonathan Wilkinson
