I think, in that context, a middle-eastern Verdun seems like a better alternative to local actions.

I've mostly been checking www.cbc.ca.

Some thoughtless person left the safety off on their rifle and it kept going off unexpectedly, and often in enclosed spaces no less! How impolite.

http://www.cbc.ca/news is probably the best source at the moment.

In short, the attacker killed the guard at the national war memorial, then hijacked a car and entered the center block of the Parliament buildings where he was firing away until the sergeant-at-arms of the House took him down. "Just" the two casualties (the guard and the attacker) as far as I know. The initial reports of shots at the Rideau Centre turned out to be false. Most of the security lockdowns have now been lifted and police are looking for other suspects. (I don't know who or what they're looking for specifically; presumably the attacker was thought to have contacts or accomplices.)

Nobody told them that Canada isn't actually the 51st state?

Here's something interesting I looked up concerning a car-related attack a couple days ago that might be connected with today's attack.

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/politics/conservatives-suggest-quebec-hit-and-run-was-terrorist-attack
http://globalnews.ca/news/1625585/canadian-soldier-struck-by-car-in-quebec-has-died/
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/martin-couture-rouleau-hit-and-run-driver-arrested-by-rcmp-in-july-1.2807078

Apparently there was a hit-and-run automobile attack a couple days ago also against Canadian soldiers. I have feeling there might be more to come if there is a link and if this is really about a radical Islamic agenda.

So far it seems that individuals becoming radicalized is the problem rather than an organized cell being at work. One unhinged individual is all it takes though.