'Our fight is not done': families of N.S. mass shooting victims optimistic but determined as commission releases final report
Now that the Nova Scotia Mass Casualty Commission’s final report is released, some victims’ families say they’re encouraged by its recommendations.
The families were initially unsatisfied with a planned judicial review and insisted on a full-fledged inquiry.
A few hundred people gathered Thursday to hear the Mass Casualty Commission’s (MCC) findings in Truro, N.S.
“Honestly, today, I was pleasantly surprised,” said Darcy Dobson, daughter of Heather O’Brien, who was killed by Gabriel Wortman while sitting in her car near Debert, N.S., in April 2020.
With the report released, Dobson says the real work starts now.
“The whole exercise is completely pointless if the recommendations aren’t implemented,” said Dobson, adding she was surprised by the criticism levelled against police in the report.
Lawyers for the various groups echoed that sentiment but said the report isn’t perfect.
“A little bit of negative on some of the more peripheral issues that they feel took up too much of the commission’s time,” said Rob Pineo, who represents some of the families. He declined to elaborate on that comment.
The MCC has recommended sweeping changes to everything from gun control to mental health services, though there is no guarantee any will be implemented.
In a message published in the MCC report’s executive summary, the trio of commissioners suggested the prevention of future tragedies was a primary objective.
“Our recommendations are designed with two objectives in mind: prevention of violence and ensuring effective critical incident response by police, other public safety partners, health and victim service providers, and communities,” the report reads.
“Crucially, we also consider the broader root causes of violence, how such violence can be prevented, and how we can all help to improve community safety and well-being.”
Scott McLeod, brother of victim Sean McLeod, says he wants to discuss the implementation face-to-face with the prime minister.
“The old saying ‘put a bug in his ear.’ And that’s what I’m hoping for, meeting with Mr. Trudeau,” said MacLeod.
Regardless of long-term outcomes, the tragedy has forever linked many of the families. Bonnie Oliver, mother of victim Jolene Oliver, mother-in-law to Aaron Tuck and grandmother to Emily Tuck, who came from Alberta for Thursday's proceedings, says their circles remain unbroken, as she stood beside Harry Bond, son of victims Peter and Joy Bond.
“Harry’s Mom and Dad, and our kids, Jolene, Aaron and Emily, they were neighbours. So, they lived on the same court. So we have his last name: Bond. We have a bond.”
Oliver, Bond and Dobson all referred to Thursday as a “new beginning,” and expressed determination to make sure all of the recommendations are ultimately acted on.
“Our work ain’t over. Our fight is not done,” said Bond. “We’ve got to make sure that this is pushed and the changes are made.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.