You will likely receive this edition of the Digest on Friday, but I’m writing this introduction on Wednesday. I’m not sure if it’s the case for everyone, but for me, today’s events will be the type that haunt me. I will always remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when I heard about the shootings at our nation’s War Memorial and then the Parliament buildings.

As I’m writing this, there are still hundreds of unanswered questions and hopefully by the time you read this, there will be a few less. But, I suspect that even a few days from now, many of us will still be asking ourselves why did this tragedy have to happen in the first place? What could have been so wrong with the individual who perpetuated this horrible crime?

As the news around the story continues to evolve, I find myself trying to place today’s events into a larger picture. It is beyond symbolic that the fallen soldier was standing guard at a monument dedicated to those who gave their lives for our freedoms. Freedoms that I think many of us take for granted a bit too often. So, if anything good can come these events, I hope it’s a collective reaffirmation that we are truly blessed to live in Canada. Let’s take pride in who we are, and let’s not ever take our freedoms for granted.

Finally, a little shout-out to the group of privacy professionals that I was with on Wednesday morning—in downtown Ottawa! It was a difficult day, for sure, but I thought we, collectively, dealt with it very well. I wish you good luck in your studies and even more good luck on your certification exams.