'We just want this to move forward' – Family members hope for no further delays in public examination of N.S. mass shooting
Family members of those killed in Nova Scotia’s mass shooting hope there will be no further delays for public hearings examining the massacre.
Earlier this month, the Mass Casualty Commission announced those hearings were delayed again and are now expected to begin in late February.
The Commission is examining the events of the April 2020 massacre, during which a gunman impersonating an RCMP officer killed 22 people and an unborn child while evading police over a 13-hour period.
In an interview on CTV News at Six Friday, two Nova Scotians who lost loved ones in the tragedy expressed frustration with the most recent delay in public proceedings.
“We understand it’s a long process,” says Nick Beaton, the husband of Kristen Beaton. The young mother, a VON continuing care assistant, was killed while pregnant with the couple’s second child.
“The delays, unexpected or unasked from our end, have piled up numerous times, and we just want this to move forward and we want this to get in the public,” says Beaton.
“We want to be able to move forward, we want it done right,” he adds, “and we want it just not prodded, but dug into so when it's done it's done, and we just want the truth and transparency, and I’m hesitant to say that we've had all that to be honest."
“It’s time to get things started,” says Darcy Dobson, daughter of Heather O’Brien, a VON nurse also killed in the tragedy.
“My biggest fear at this point is that there’s not an adequate amount of time to get their final recommendations out,” says Dobson.
“I really do feel like we’re walking in with blinders on, because we have no idea what’s going to happen in the public hearings, we’ve really been left in the dark,” she says.
“It’s not fair for the safety of the people of this province, or the safety of the people in this country,” Dobson adds.
In a media release this week, one of the lawyers representing the families described his clients as “increasingly concerned” with the delay.
Robert Pineo also expressed the families’ worry over “the limited information being shared about what the public proceedings will entail, and what role those “most affected” will be afforded in those public proceedings.”
“In spite of these concerns,” Pineo writes, “our clients will continue to participate completely in trust that a public inquiry will, in fact, begin in February and that our clients’ ability to participate in the presentation and testing of evidence before the Commission will be full and unfettered.”
According to the Commission's website, public hearings have now been pushed to February 22.
The three-person commission, led by former Nova Scotia chief justice Michael MacDonald, is scheduled to release its interim report by June 1, and a final report by December 1. Those dates have been pushed back by a month since the Commission was first announced in the fall of 2020.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Judge says 'no evidence fully supports' murder case against Umar Zameer as jury starts deliberations
The judge presiding over the trial of a man accused of fatally running over a Toronto police officer is telling jurors the possible verdicts they may reach based on the evidence in the case.
Nearly half of China's major cities are sinking, researchers say
Nearly half of China's major cities are suffering 'moderate to severe' levels of subsidence, putting millions at risk of flooding especially as sea levels rise.
LeBlanc says he plans to run in next election, under Trudeau's leadership
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to run in the next election as a candidate under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's leadership, amid questions about his rumoured interest in succeeding his longtime friend for the top job.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn't over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball's highest scorer Caitlin Clark's first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
U.S. vetoes a widely supported UN resolution backing full membership for Palestine
The United States has vetoed a widely backed UN resolution that would have paved the way for full United Nations membership for the state of Palestine.
'Shopaholic' author Sophie Kinsella reveals brain cancer diagnosis
Sophie Kinsella, the best-selling author behind the 'Shopaholic' book series, has revealed that she is receiving treatment for brain cancer.