The RCMP failed survivors and surviving family members of the April 2020 mass murders, according to the Mass Casualty Commission. The report found that RCMP H Division and the Nova Scotia Victim Services were unprepared for the “immense need” in the mass casualty’s aftermath. Some individual officers and service providers did their best to adapt […]
RCMP ‘revictimized’ Lisa Banfield: MCC Report
Despite the fact that the mass murders of April 18-19, 2020 started with an assault on Lisa Banfield, the RCMP never considered Banfield a victim — “that is, as an important witness who required careful debriefing and who would need support service,” according to the Mass Casualty Commission’s final report. The report is careful to […]
RCMP ignored ‘red flags’ about the killer’s violence and illegal firearms: MCC Report
If the RCMP had done their jobs correctly in the years leading up to the murders of April 2020, they might have found the illegal firearms in the future gunman’s possession, according to the final report released by the Mass Casualty Commission (MCC). And if they had done that, rather than failing to investigate the […]
Mass Casualty Commission calls for overhaul of policing in Canada, including potentially breaking up the RCMP
The Mass Casualty Commission is calling for a complete overhaul of policing in Canada, including potentially breaking up the RCMP. Even without going that far, the commission recommends sweeping changes within the RCMP, including: • The RCMP Training Depot in Regina be phased out by 2032 and replaced by a three-year university degree program to […]
Ballad of the Motherland: Nuance in a time of war
The play written and directed by Annie Valentina could have fallen into about a million traps, but somehow manages to avoid them all.
Halifax councillors finish budget debates, planning for 5.8% hike to the average tax bill
HRM’s portion of the average residential property tax bill will rise about $125 this year.
The Mass Casualty Commission’s final report will be issued tomorrow. It will likely be thoughtful and considered, and mostly ignored.
To some degree, facts are fungible, and truth depends on the context we bring to it. But we can’t let ourselves fall into some postmodernist nothing-has-ultimate-meaning hole; we should at least strive for a shared understanding of events. The Mass Casualty Commission was and remains a good approach.
Nova Scotia basic income conference to focus on housing, poverty, income assistance issues
Conference set for all day Saturday in Halifax, Sydney, and online.
Swamped with offers in just days, listing for historic Acadian church taken off the market
“It’s a beautiful location. Who wouldn’t want to live in that building?”
Planning for national urban park at Blue Mountain-Birch Cove Lakes moves to next stage
Nova Scotia has reached a contribution agreement with Parks Canada.