"Thanks for your respect, thank you," said La Loche acting mayor Kevin Janvier as he welcomed the prime minister and his entourage yesterday to the remote lakeside town of 3,000 inhabitants on the edge of the Arctic Circle.
Last Friday, a 17-year-old went on a rampage at the local high school, killing two teachers and critically injuring seven others. Two brothers aged 13 and 17, respectively were also killed at their nearby home.
Trudeau said in a statement that he wanted to "personally express the country's shock and sadness over last week's tragic shootings."