The chair of the committee that’s monitoring the implementation of recommendations from the inquiry into the 2020 Nova Scotia mass shooting says she’s pleased with the progress she’s seen from RCMP and governments.
A gunman shot and killed 22 people during a 13-hour rampage in the province on April 18 and 19, 2020.
A public inquiry in 2023 released a list of 130 recommendations that covered gender-based and intimate partner violence, access to firearms, policing and the province’s independent police oversight agency.
The independent Progress Monitoring Committee has a three-year mandate to publicly report on the initiatives taken by the provincial and federal governments, as well as the RCMP.
“Let me remind you that change takes time and I recognize that it can never be fast enough,” said the committee’s chair, Myra Freeman, during the release of their second annual report.
The 50-page report emphasizes that progress is being made on some fronts, including emergency management, regulatory oversight, mental wellness and gender-based violence prevention.
The report divided the recommendations into 14 groups. Two groups, both of which fell under “policing reform,” were rated as “complete.”
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“They have their eye on the ball as to what needs to be done. They completed the governance and they are working to ensure that the other recommendations are moving forward,” said Freeman.
Other groups of recommendations were rated at various levels between “initiated” and “on track.”
Scott McLeod, whose brother Sean was killed in the attacks, is a member of the committee and says he feels optimistic about the work being done.
“People are engaged and it’s nice because that’s the only way things work. If people aren’t engaged, nothing happens,” he said.
While the RCMP were noted as doing well in the report, the federal Justice Department’s progress on supports for victims received the lowest rating — having only been “initiated.”
McLeod acknowledges there are gaps in victim and family support, but feels confident knowing these issues have been identified.
“Yes, there’s gaps, but again, as we find gaps, all we can do is try and fix those gaps and make things better for everybody else,” he said.
It’s something Freeman says has been addressed with all levels of government.
“We’ve made that note, that it is urgent for the governments to put that as a high priority and issue to be dealt with,” she added.
In a statement, Premier Tim Houston thanked the committee for its work, and said Nova Scotia is “on track in many areas” and has made significant investments.
“These are complex and interconnected issues we are trying to resolve,” he said.
“Along with addressing the epidemic of intimate partner violence and the causes of violence, we must also break down systemic barriers and improve the safety and resilience of communities.”
The monitoring committee consists of representatives from government, the victims’ families, police, gender-based violence advocacy groups, and organizations representing Indigenous and African Canadian communities.
It meets quarterly and is scheduled to meet again in December in Ottawa.
Freeman says the focus for the third report will be gender-based and intimate partner violence.
— with a file from The Canadian Press
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