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In mid-May it was announced that the Mass Casualty Commission will hear from nearly 30 individuals and several advocacy groups and organizations as part of its probe into the murders of 22 Nova Scotians in April 2020.
The commission received more than 60 applications from individuals and groups wanting to contribute to the public inquiry. Of those applications, the Commission is allowing families of the victims and various organizations to participate in the public inquiry, including two unions.
The Nova Scotia Nurses’ Union and Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union “can contribute significantly with recommendations on how to keep our communities safer and healthier.” The unions will prepare reports, attend community sessions and participate in roundtable discussions.
The Nurses’ Union represents many community-based and emergency department nurses directly impacted by the mass casualty. The NSNU has and continues to play a key role in shaping policies that address workplace safety.
NSNU knows that violence in the community has an impact on those who provide care and wants to share this perspective with the aim of preventing future violence. The NSNU will represent the views of nurses working in the community and will speak specifically about those experiences.
Work is underway by the Commission’s investigation team, gathering information on what happened on April 18 and 19, 2020, when a gunman rampaged several Nova Scotia communities.
The tragic event, which started in Portapique and ended in Enfield more than 13 hours later, is the deadliest mass shooting in Canadian history. NSNU member and VON employee, Heather O’Brien was one of the victims, along with her co-worker, Kristen Beaton.
Since the shooting took place, the families of the victims have been seeking answers, but also want to ensure a similar tragedy never happens again.
The public inquiry is expected to conclude by November 2022.
