Senator Doug Black was preparing for a meeting with Alberta Labour Minister Ric McIver when the shooter attacked the capital yesterday.
McIver came within metres of the gunman, and from his office overlooking Parliament Hill, Black says it quickly became like a scene from a movie.
“The SWAT teams were arriving; there were dozens, if not  a hundred, RCMP officers hiding behind their cars, their guns pulled, SWAT teams rushing at Parliament Hill. It was surreal.”
The elected Alberta senator says it’s clear security at Canadian institutions will need to be tightened, including city halls and the air force base in Cold Lake.
In the senate today, he says he will be advocating for police agencies to have additional powers.
He argues they’re currently in a position where they have a list of 90 suspected extremists in Canada, but can’t do anything about it.
“They certainly at a minimum should be under surveillance, and then if there’s any concerns beyond that, I think they should be restrained for a period of time until we understand their motives and their connections and their relationships.”
He argues Canada can no longer be naive when it comes to the possibility of terrorist attacks.