N.S. mass shooting inquiry report must deliver 'clear commentary': family lawyer
On July 22, 2020, about three months after a gunman murdered 22 people in Nova Scotia, a procession of grieving relatives marched to the local RCMP detachment, demanding an independent and open inquiry into the rampage.
Nick Beaton, who lost his pregnant wife Kristen Beaton in the April 18-19, 2020, killings, wore a sign with a photo of his young son kissing Kristen. "I miss my Mommy," it read. "We deserve answers and the truth."
On Thursday, Beaton and others who pressed for answers will see the result of their demands as a federal-provincial inquiry -- which was announced a week after the 2020 demonstration in Bible Hill, N.S. -- delivers its final report.
Sandra McCulloch, a lawyer who represents 14 of the victims' families, said in an interview Tuesday they are hoping "for clear commentary on what things went wrong and what things ought to have been done better or differently."
The mass shooting began in the tranquil community of Portapique when a 51-year-old Halifax denturist assaulted his spouse, loaded his illegal firearms into in a replica RCMP vehicle and began shooting his neighbours. Thirteen people died that night, as houses set on fire by the killer created a nightmarish glow over the wooded area.
The killer managed to escape, and on April 19, nine more people were gunned down, including RCMP Const. Heidi Stevenson -- whose car was struck by the mass killer's vehicle as she responded to a call for help from a fellow officer.
The gunman was killed by two members of the Mounties' emergency response team at a gas station in Enfield, N.S., about 13 hours after the first deaths.
The public inquiry had a broad mandate, but some observers say the issues of policing and gender-based violence are at the heart of the probe.
Wayne MacKay, professor emeritus of law at Dalhousie University in Halifax, said it's important to note that while the commission of inquiry is focused on finding facts and making recommendations, it cannot lay blame or determine criminal or civil liability. Still, he said the final report could prompt big changes, particularly for the RCMP.
Among other things, MacKay said the inquiry is sure to urge the national police force to be more transparent when communicating with the public.
"From the very first news conference, there was either misinformation or under-information from the RCMP, which continued throughout the whole process," he said. "And they should have got the word out earlier that a man was driving a police car and shooting people."
On another front, MacKay said the inquiry will likely recommend that the RCMP do something about its lack of co-operation with municipal police forces.
"The RCMP, in what might appear to be almost an act of arrogance, was repeatedly saying, 'No, we have this under control,"' MacKay said. "There seems to be a kind of superiority in terms of how they deal with other police forces."
As well, the commission of inquiry is expected to have plenty to say about how the RCMP handles complaints of intimate partner violence.
The inquiry heard that Gabriel Wortman began the killings after attacking his spouse, Lisa Banfield. Witnesses told inquiry lawyers that Wortman's history of violence against women spanned decades, and a former neighbour in Portapique told the inquiry she informed police in 2013 that he possessed illegal weapons when she filed a complaint about an alleged incident of domestic violence.
MacKay said the inquiry has the option of calling for an overhaul of the RCMP that would end its role as the main police force in most parts of rural Canada.
Since the tragedy, the RCMP has addressed shortfalls in gear and procedures, but its full response to the report will only be rolled out after its release, senior officers have said.
The commission has said its report will contain seven volumes and span as many as 3,000 pages. But Ed Ratushny, a professor emeritus at the University of Ottawa's law school, said the key will be whether it offers a clear account of what occurred and practical recommendations on how to prevent similar occurrences.
"A public inquiry has to be user-friendly to the public," he said.
During the hearings, Ratushny criticized restrictions placed on cross-examination of some witnesses, particularly of police officers, as part of the inquiry's mandate to not amplify the trauma experienced during the shootings.
"I wonder whether the credibility of the report might be put in jeopardy, in some respects, because of not having more ordinary, predictable cross-examination," he said during an interview Monday.
McCulloch said some of her clients have developed a "tentative" approach to the inquiry, and they hope "the commission doesn't shy away from saying things that need to be said" in the final report.
"We're not going to make any positive change if they can't clearly speak to what went wrong and what must be fixed going forward," she said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 29, 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NDP motion regarding Palestinian statehood passes after major Liberal alterations
A motion from the federal New Democrats initially calling on Canada to recognize the 'State of Palestine' passed amid widespread acrimony on Monday, after the Liberals drastically altered its wording to see the government simply work towards that aim as part of a two-state solution.
'He didn't want to die': Family of Calgary man killed in standoff speaks out
Family of a Calgary man killed after a 30-hour standoff with police last week are speaking out, sharing details of the tense and heart-wrenching experience.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Ohio mom who left toddler alone 10 days when she went on vacation pleads guilty to aggravated murder
An Ohio mother whose 16-month-old daughter died after being left home alone in a playpen for 10 days last summer while she went on vacation was sentenced Monday to life in prison with no chance of parole.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
5 charged in Calgary kidnappings that targeted women
Calgary police have charged five men in a pair of kidnappings last year that targeted innocent victims.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Canadian commander of volunteer fighter group dies in Ukraine
A Canadian-born commander of the so-called Norman Brigade, a volunteer fighting group in Ukraine, has died.