Sergeant-at-Arms Kevin Vickers, who was hailed for stopping an assailant who stormed Canada's parliament in October, will be named ambassador to Ireland, the government announced Thursday. Vickers will fill a post vacated in August by a former Conservative cabinet minister in Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government.
"Kevin Vickers has shown profound leadership and dedication to the security of Canada and its national institutions," Harper said in a statement. "His extensive experience working with parliament, as well as his bravery and integrity, will serve to deepen close bilateral relations between Canada and Ireland in the years ahead." The 58-year-old former mountie - known for carrying a ceremonial golden mace and wearing a bicorne hat and tail coat - fired the shots that brought the October rampage to an end.