The following statement was given today in the House of Assembly by the Honourable Dwight Ball, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador:

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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge and remember a somber day in the history of our province. Nine years ago, on March 12, 2009, Cougar Flight 491 crashed into the cold North Atlantic Ocean, resulting in the loss of two crew members and 15 passengers.

All of those lost that day were simply doing what so many other people in this province continue to do on a daily basis – travelling to their worksites off our coast.

Events such as this serve as a stark reminder of the importance of a strong safety culture for those who make a living on and around our waters. We must encourage vigilance and work cooperatively with all of those who are involved in our offshore including other levels of government, regulators and companies, to prevent future tragedies from happening.

We must never take health and safety for granted.

Mr. Speaker, we honour and remember the lives of those lost that day and I offer my deepest sympathies to their families, friends and co-workers. Our thoughts are with them.

I will be attending a memorial service later today at St. Mary the Virgin Anglican Church on Craigmillar Avenue here in St. John’s. The service begins at 7:00 pm and is open to the public. I encourage all my colleagues here in the Honourable House to join us this evening.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.