Kevin Vickers

Kevin Michael Vickers ONB SC (born September 29, 1956) is an ambassador, former Sergeant at Arms and former Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officer. He has been the Canadian Ambassador to Ireland since 19 January 2015. He became world famous as the ninth Sergeant-at-Arms of the House of Commons of Canada. The Sergeant-at-Arms is responsible for the safety and security of the Parliament buildings and occupants, and ensuring and controlling access to the House of Commons. The position includes the ceremonial function of carrying the ceremonial gold mace into the House of Commons before every sitting.
Vickers participated in ending the October 22, 2014, shootings at Parliament Hill alongside RCMP Constable Curtis Barrett when they both returned heavy fire and Barrett fired the fatal shot that killed gunman Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, after Bibeau had shot in the direction of Barrett who was leading a tactical formation in the Centre Block of the Canadian parliamentary complex. Minutes earlier, Zehaf-Bibeau had killed Corporal Nathan Cirillo, a ceremonial guard, at the Canadian National War Memorial and shot a constable at the Peace Tower entrance. For his actions Vickers has been called a hero by the Prime Minister, Ministers of the Crown, the Leader of the Opposition, and Canadian and international media. On February, 8, 2016, Vickers was presented with the Star of Courage along with six others involved in bringing the incident under control. Eight others were awarded the Medal of Bravery.
Prior to his role in Parliament, Vickers served in the RCMP for 29 years, rising to the rank of Chief Superintendent.

Vickers was born at Hotel Dieu in Chatham, New Brunswick, where his mother Monica Margaret (née Kingston) was a nurse and his father, William James "Bill" (1921-2004), operated a dairy named Northumberland Co-op Dairy. He is of Irish heritage.

Vickers grew up in Newcastle (now part of the city of Miramichi). His father invited home students from developing countries studying co-operatives at the Coady International Institute at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia.

Policing

Vickers served in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for 29 years, attaining the rank of Chief Superintendent. He gained prominence as the incident commander during the 1999–2000 Burnt Church Crisis. He spent ten years stationed in Alberta and ten years stationed in the Northwest Territories, and subsequently was the director-general of the RCMP's aboriginal police services branch. In 2003, he became Director General of the National Contract Policing Branch for Canada, managing nine separate branches of law enforcement.

Throughout his RCMP career, Vickers provided security for VIPs, including Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Andrew. He also served as an aide-de-camp for the Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick.

Sergeant-at-Arms

In June 2005 he joined the House of Commons as Director of Security Operations. He was appointed Sergeant-at-Arms for the Canadian House of Commons on August 24, 2006, and began serving on September 1, 2006.

On acting to permit the kirpan, the ceremonial dagger that observant Sikhs are required to wear at all times, to be worn in the Commons, Vickers recalled that in his interview for the post "... I told them that if they made me their Sergeant-at-Arms, there would be no walls built around Canada's Parliamentary buildings ... I have kept my promise."

In 2013, when Idle No More protestors arrived at Parliament Hill, Vickers participated in a ritual exchange of tobacco with Serpent River First Nation chief Isadore Day.

On October 22, 2014, during the Parliament Hill attack, Vickers was initially identified as the sole hero and credited with the fatal shooting of Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, but once the independent OPP report was released on June 1, 2015, it was revealed that the suspect was shot several times by both Vickers and RCMP Constable Curtis Barrett as they simultaneously returned fire, and that Barrett delivered the final shot to the head. Zehaf-Bibeau entered the Centre Block under the Peace Tower, shooting a Commons security guard in the leg, exchanging gunfire, before running down the Hall of Honour to an alcove by the entrance to the Library of Parliament, which is beside Vickers' office. Vickers pulled a 9mm handgun from a lock-box and entered the hall. He stood behind the pillar in an opposite position to Zehaf-Bibeau and shortly after Zehaf-Bibeau had pulled away from the pillar and shot at Barrett he threw himself on the ground and fired multiple shots at the gunman. A niece told the Calgary Sun, "This is the first time in his career that he's shot anyone."

Ambassador to Ireland

Vickers officially started duties as the Canadian ambassador to Ireland on 21 January 2015, replacing Loyola Hearn.

On May 26, 2016, Vickers engaged a protester who was interrupting a ceremony commemorating British soldiers who were killed in the 1916 Easter Rising, dragging the man to one side before handing him over to Gardaí officers.

• 1992 (1992): 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada Medal in 1992 for "significant contributions to fellow citizens, to their community, or to Canada."
• 2002 (2002): Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal for contributions to public life.
• 2008 (2008): Royal Canadian Mounted Police Long Service Medal.
• 2009 (2009): Honoured by the Association of Progressive Muslims of Canada for "long outstanding service", and "efforts to promote bias-free policing and diversity in the workplace".
• 2011 (2011): Honoured by the Canadian branch of the World Sikh Organization for his decision that Sikh Members of Parliament could wear their kirpans in the House.
• 2015 – Order of New Brunswick for his role in stopping the shooting at Parliament Hill on October 22, 2014
• 2016 - Star of Courage, along with others, for his role in stopping the shooting on Parliament Hill. The citation reads

On October 22, 2014, members of the House of Commons protection services and the RCMP were instrumental in stopping an armed man who had stormed the Centre Block of the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa, Ontario. Constable Son was stationed at the front entrance when he spotted the man entering with a concealed rifle. The constable lunged to gain control of the firearm, but it discharged and struck him in the leg. Drawn to the Rotunda by the noise, Corporal Malo and Constable Thom took cover and exchanged several rounds with the gunman after he entered the building. Constable Létourneau tracked the gunman down the Hall of Honour toward the Library of Parliament and fired at him several times. RCMP Sergeant Rozon, Corporal Daigle and constables Barrett, Bergeron, Bubelis, Célestin, Fraser, Marcoux, Palmer, Ruest and Waye, who had assembled outside the Peace Tower, entered the Centre Block. Supported by their colleagues, Sergeant Rozon, Corporal Daigle and constables Barrett and Fraser assumed a tactical formation (IARD) as they charged down the Hall of Honour. With the shooter now cornered in an alcove leading to the Library, Sergeant-at-Arms Vickers, after being advised of the shooter’s location, dove to the floor in front of him and fired his weapon. RCMP Constable Barrett walked directly toward the gunman while also firing his weapon. The collective actions of these 16 individuals brought the incident to an end in less than three minutes, and avoided further tragedy.

Vickers has also been recognized by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration for his "Outstanding Contribution to Drug Enforcement".

Unofficial honours

Vickers received an extended standing ovation in the House of Commons for his role in ending the 2014 shootings at Parliament Hill, Ottawa.

Comedian Stephen Colbert had high praise for Vickers, comparing his actions to those of Bruce Willis in the movie Die Hard and also praising his stoic reaction to the standing ovation in Parliament.

French President François Hollande said in an address to the Canadian Parliament, "I salute the courage of Kevin Vickers, who is known all across the world."

"The International Conference on Homeland Security in Tel Aviv in November 2014 opened with calling Sergeant-at-Arms Kevin Vickers to the stage to acknowledge him for his courage." During the same trip, Vickers was recognized by the speaker of the Israeli Knesset and asked to rise in his seat in the gallery to be acknowledged by parliamentarians.