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Brother says sergeant-at-arms has always been his hero
Will Vickers says Canadians now know what he's always known about brother Kevin

John McFadden
Northern News Services
Published Friday, October 24, 2014

SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
The brother of a man credited with stopping a gunman at the Parliament Buildings on Wednesday says the rest of the country now knows what he's known most of his life - that his brother is a hero.

NNSL photo/graphic

Will Vickers is the brother of Kevin Vickers the House of Commons Sergeant-at-Arms who is being called a hero for stopping a gunman in the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa Wednesday. Will says his bother has always been his hero and now he's Canada's hero. Will, a teacher at Weledeh Catholic School, says he's not surprised that his brother took charge Wednesday. Kevin Vickers is a retired RCMP officer who spent eight years in the NWT. - John McFadden/NNSL photo

Will Vickers teaches Grade 6 at Weledeh Catholic School. Kevin, his older brother, is the sergeant-at-arms in the House of Commons. Kevin Vickers is among those praised for stopping the gunman. Will Vickers said he heard early Wednesday there had been a shooting in Ottawa. A soldier had been killed at the National War Memorial.

"So I called my brother John in Victoria to see what he knew," said Will. "That's when I found out there had been another shooting, this one at the Parliament Buildings.

"Obviously, I was very concerned so I sent Kevin a text. He texted me back in about 30 seconds to say he was fine."

He said he then called his 87-year-old mother in New Brunswick to make sure she was OK.

"My sister also lives in New Brunswick so she went and picked up my mom," said Will. "Her phone's been ringing off the hook ever since, just like mine."

Will said he still hadn't spoken to Kevin as of Thursday afternoon.

"He looked exhausted when I saw him on TV in the House of Commons this morning. I'll call him this evening," said Will. He initially heard that his brother had fired the fatal shot but he said he's since learned that it may have been an RCMP officer who killed the assailant.

"Either way, we are very, very proud of Kevin. We're grateful he was not hurt. It's sad that he had to do what he had to do," said Will. "He won't think he's a hero. He'll say he was just doing his job."

Will said despite his concerns for his brother, he had a degree of calm confidence, knowing that the right man was on the job.

"He's a great leader, an excellent marksman and well-trained. I knew he'd be right on the front line but I was confident he would come out alright," Will said.

The public's perception of the sergeant-at-arms position is that it is mostly ceremonial.

"He sometimes gets teased about the hat he has to wear," said Will. "But he's ex-RCMP. He's always on guard."

Will's faith in his brother comes from first hand experience. Will, who is five years younger than Kevin, was swimming across the Miramichi River in New Brunswick when he was about 12 years old back in the 1960s when he ran into trouble.

"I was starting to drown. Kevin came over in a canoe, bear hugged me, told me to calm down and helped me to shore. He saved my life that day. He's been my hero ever since," said Will.

Kevin Vickers is a retired RCMP officer who spent time in the NWT.

"He started in Behchoko in 1979, moved onto to Yellowknife in the early '80s and wrapped up his time in the NWT in Fort Resolution in the mid-to-late '80s," said Will.

Will said the last two days have been very emotional for himself and his family.

"I've received some 150 texts and Facebook messages, some of them from people I don't even know that well," he said.

"Yellowknife has not let me down. I really appreciate it."

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