Former mayor of Mayerthorpe says his heart breaks for the people of St. Albert

Tragedy is something Albert Schalm knows all too well, he helped lead his community through one of the darkest moments in Canadian history.

It was March 3rd, 2005, when four RCMP officers were shot and killed by James Roszko on his rural property. Roszko would then take his own life.

At almost for a loss of words, he says you can’t help but think why we are going through this again.

“Thoughts go out to the RCMP family and Constable Wynn’s family, this is something that probably shouldn’t have happened,” said Schalm. “He was just out doing his job and that’s what hits home the most part, he was out doing his job.”

Schalm says in the days ahead, many will likely be asking questions as to how could this have happened.

He noted there are some similarities in both what St. Albert and Mayerthorpe have experienced.

“Just in the scope of who the perpetrator was and what kind of criminal records were there and whether the justice system could have dealt with him different. I’m not one to ever point fingers and say ‘you could have done this or could have done that,’ I try very hard not to do that, whether it’s RCMP or the justice system, there’s probably some blame everywhere. The truth is, this is something that happened that nobody sees coming, nobody expects it coming, yet we have to deal with it.”

The former Mayor, turned trustee tells 660News, St. Albert and Mayor Crouse were quiet supporters and provided Mayerthorpe a shoulder for them to lean on during their own tragic event.

“I have very deep feelings for St. Albert, what happened there is a tragedy and it hits hard in my heart.”

Mayerthorpe is 130 km, northeast of St. Albert.

March 3rd, 2015 will mark the tenth anniversary of the “Fallen Four”.

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