"Mr. Speaker, we just heard media reports about a terrorist attack at the border in Niagara. Two people may have been killed and a third injured. Can the prime minister give us any information about this terrorist attack?" Poilievre asked first in French, in a question that began at 2:23 p.m. ET, according to ParlVu.
The prime minister responded, indicating that at that time the situation was "very serious," and work continued, referencing what then were four border closures. Poilievre then asked about the situation again in English, at 2:25 p.m. ET, according to ParlVu, once again using the phrase "media reports of a terrorist attack."
In his response, Trudeau noted that "there are a lot of questions" and that Canadian security agencies were following up with U.S. officials "to try to rapidly get as many answers as possible." Trudeau also informed the House of Commons that "additional measures" were at that time, "being contemplated and activated" at all border crossings across the country. Vowing updates, Trudeau then excused himself to go receive further information.
On Thursday, Poilievre was asked during a press conference in Toronto whether he thought it was responsible to call the explosion terrorism when no U.S. or Canadian official had said that it was.
In response, Poilievre pointed to reporting by CTV News.
"CTV reported that the Government of Canada was presuming that the incident was terrorist… And that's what I said in my remarks… I said there are media reports," Poilievre said.
A back-and-forth transpired between The Canadian Press reporter and Poilievre, about the Conservative leader describing the situation as a terrorist attack, or terrorism.
"I didn't. I said there were media reports…. What I said, and I was right, was that there were media reports of a terror-related event," Poilievre said.
CTV News reported, citing national security sources, that government officials were operating under the assumption that the incident at the Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls, was terror-related.
This breaking information was first reported on CTV News approximately 15 minutes after Poilievre rose in the House to ask Trudeau about "media reports about a terrorist attack."
National security sources also told CTV News that while it had not been ruled out that the explosion was the result of other means, in operating under the terror assumption, officials had conveyed to police forces they should increase their presence at likely terror targets as they worked to establish the incident was isolated.
