Music tributes and heartfelt condolences from around the globe are being posted on the Ultimate Online Nova Scotia Kitchen Party (COVID-19 EDITION) Facebook page following the mass shooting over the weekend.
“These songs are really offering healing and comfort to those who need it most,” said the site’s creator, Heather Thomson.
She said the site was originally created as an outlet for people in isolation amid the coronavirus pandemic.
It has now also become a place of condolence and support for Nova Scotia following the tragic shootings over the weekend, she said.
“Many of the song choices are those that hold special meaning to people in Nova Scotia,” said Thomson.
She said a video was posted to the site from in Banff, Alta., with church bells ringing out the song Farewell to Nova Scotia.
Thomson said four of the people killed in the shootings were members of the Facebook group who shared their love of music with the world.
“They were sharing joy through music and it is important that we return the favour,” she said.
Thomson said some of the victims’ families have asked her to keep the site and the music going so that those affected by the tragedy have a venue of support.
“It is a small thing that we can do for them in letting them know that we do stand alongside of them,” she said.
Even professional artists with a gift for lyrics, like country singer Johnny Reid, have posted to the site.
“I cannot believe what has happened up there in Nova Scotia,” Reid said in his video tribute. “It has had a profound effect on me.”
Thomson said with families and friends of the victims unable to connect in person amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the site is serving as a heartfelt musical embrace from the country — and the world.
“They are not able to find the healing hands to physically wrap around them,” she said.