'A huge historical event': B.C. man travelling to UK for Queen’s funeral
A Metro Vancouver man will be going the distance to watch history unfold. Within hours of learning about the Queen's passing, he purchased a round-trip ticket to London.
“Some people might think I'm like a Loyalist, but for me, this is a huge historical event – very rarely do things like this happen,” Gurjeet Singh said.
Singh said he’s interested in history and wants to witness it, adding Queen Elizabeth II is the only monarch he’s ever known.
“Not just my lifetime, my parents’ lifetime and my grandparents’ lifetime – that’s a big deal.”
As an Indo-Canadian, he recognizes the subject of the Royal Family can be fraught. Exerting colonial force across the globe, Britain ruled India for nearly a century.
But Singh said his upcoming trip is not about the monarchy, but about the accomplishments of the Queen.
“She was inspirational; she was stoic. She was a solid rock, a solid foundation during a very, very quickly changing world. You know, when she became Queen when TVs were just brand new and now everything's on our phones,” he said
He plans to visit Westminster Hall where the Queen will lie in state.
Details of the State Funeral were announced over the weekend, Singh said it was lucky that he and his girlfriend booked dates that would allow them to be there while it happened.
“I’m sure in the coming days they'll announce all the details about who can attend and how you can attend and how you can pay your respects. But if we're allowed -- we'll be there,” he said.
For those who are not planning to travel to pay tribute to the late Queen, a book of condolences will be available for people to sign at Century House in New Westminster.
“The Royal Family has a long connection with the New Westminster. In fact, Princess Margaret was here for the ribbon-cutting ceremony when Century House was opened up,” said Peter Julian, NDP MP for Burnaby-New Westminster.
“Queen Elizabeth II visited New Westminster three times, Burnaby twice over the long course of her reign.”
“So many residents have been asking me how they can send condolences to the Royal Family, that's why we partnered with the city of New Westminster that to have this condolences book.”
The book will be available for mourners to sign this week from Monday to Friday between 10 a.m. and noon before being sent to the UK.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Deadly six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 sparked by road rage incident
One person was killed in a six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 in Innisfil Friday evening.
Britney Spears settles long-running legal dispute with estranged father, finally bringing ultimate end to conservatorship
Britney Spears has reached a settlement with her estranged father more than two years after the court-ordered termination of a conservatorship that had given him control of her life, their attorneys said.
First court appearance for boy and girl charged in death of Halifax 16-year-old
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Opinion I just don't get Taylor Swift
It's one thing to say you like Taylor Swift and her music, but don't blame CNN's AJ Willingham's when she says she just 'doesn't get' the global phenomenon.
Haida elder suing Catholic Church and priest, hopes for 'healing and reconciliation'
The lawyer for a residential school survivor leading a proposed class-action defamation lawsuit against the Catholic Church over residential schools says the court action is a last resort.
Yemen's Houthi rebels claim downing U.S. Reaper drone, release footage showing wreckage of aircraft
Yemen's Houthi rebels on Saturday claimed shooting down another of the U.S. military's MQ-9 Reaper drones, airing footage of parts that corresponded to known pieces of the unmanned aircraft.
Cisco reveals security breach, warns of state-sponsored spy campaign
State-sponsored actors targeted security devices used by governments around the world, according to technology firm Cisco Systems, which said the network devices are coveted intrusion points by spies.