A group of nine photos, including maps, memorials, and locations in the mass shooting

April 2020 was a difficult time in Nova Scotia. A strange new virus was loose in the world, and no one knew what would happen. Nova Scotia was under lockdown — restaurants and bars were closed, schools were online, health orders prohibited people from gathering socially, and the disease had entered the Northwood retirement home. People were frightened, uncertain.

And then hell descended on the province.

On Saturday night, April 18, a man went on a rampage in Portapique, a small, idyllic community on the shores of the Minas Basin. He murdered 13 people, injured two more, and burned several homes, including his own.

But the public didn’t learn the extent of the murders until the next day, when the horrific killing spree continued in an unfathomable fashion. The murderer emerged from an overnight hiding spot and — driving a replica RCMP cruiser — created a 100-kilometre trail of death and terror across the province, leaving nine more victims: a couple and their neighbour on Hunter Road, a woman out for her morning walk in Wentworth, two women driving in their cars on Plains Road in Debert, a cop and helpful passerby at the the Shubenacadie cloverleaf, a woman in her house on Highway 224. Finally, the killer himself was killed by police at the Enfield Big Stop.

There were immediately questions: Why wasn’t the public alerted about the danger? How was it possible for the killer to have an exact replica of a police car? Why did two police officers shoot up a volunteer fire hall? Were there warning signs that were ignored? How did the police response go so wrong? And more.

The Halifax Examiner was on the story immediately. Our entire team told the stories of the victims, the background events, the mishaps and mistakes. We’ve been on the story ever since. The Examiner has spent tens of thousands of dollars as part of a coalition of media outlets that has gone to court to get sealed search warrant documents related to the murders released. And we’re now reporting on the public inquiry into the murders and the trove of new documents that are being released.

As an easy reference, all of our reporting is collected below, and will be added to as new articles are published.

We hope you find this reporting valuable — so valuable that you will support it with your subscription to the Examiner. It’s subscribers who make this work possible.


May 2023

Dismantle the RCMP (Morning File, by Tim Bousquet, May 10, 2023)

3 years after mass murders, provincial and federal governments to spend $18 million on mental health, grief, and bereavement services (by Tim Bousquet, May 1, 2023)

It’s time to fix policing, not ‘integrate’ the Mounties and the HRP (by Stephen Kimber, May 1, 2023)

April 2023

Nova Scotia commits to expanded mental health supports three years after Portapique tragedy (by Jennifer Henderson, April 19, 2023)

Michael MacDonald: ‘do right by the people whose lives were taken and all the other suffering and heartache’ (Morning File, by Tim Bousquet, April 17, 2023)

Halifax police board asks for report on Mass Casualty Commission recommendations (by Zane Woodford, April 3, 2023)

Interim RCMP Commissioner Michael Duheme: read the report, tell the truth, and apologize (by Jennifer Henderson, April 3, 2023)

Police watchdog botched three investigations after mass murders: MCC report (by Tim Bousquet, April 3, 2023)

The Halifax Examiner is all-in for reporting on the Mass Casualty Commission, but we’re additionally covering other important stories (by Tim Bousquet, Morning File, April 3, 2023)

The Mass Casualty Commission report meets the ‘somewhat surprised’ (by Stephen Kimber, April 2, 2023)

March 2023

Civil liberty groups, Montreal Massacre survivors, and women advocates applaud Mass Casualty Commission report (by Jennifer Henderson, March 31, 2023)

Heidi Stevenson shows us how to address policing (by Tim Bousquet, March 31, 2023)

Nova Scotia political leaders respond to final report from Mass Casualty Commission (by Jennifer Henderson, March 30, 2023)

RCMP must gather uniforms from retired officers, keep track of inventory: MCC Report (by Suzanne Rent, March 30, 2023)

RCMP failed victims’ families: MCC Report (by Yvette d’Entremont, March 30, 2023)

RCMP ‘revictimized’ Lisa Banfield: MCC Report (by Tim Bousquet, March 30, 2023)

RCMP ignored ‘red flags’ about the killer’s violence and illegal firearms: MCC Report (by Joan Baxter, March 30, 2023)

Mass Casualty Commission calls for overhaul of policing in Canada, including potentially breaking up the RCMP (by Jennifer Henderson, March 30, 2023)

The Mass Casualty Commission’s final report will be issued tomorrow. It will likely be thoughtful and considered, and mostly ignored (Morning File, March 29, 2023, by Tim Bousquet)

February 2023

Lisa Banfield: criminal charges v discretion, compassion, common sense (February 12, 2023, by Stephen Kimber)

Federal government defends Lisa Banfield lawsuit, denying ‘baseless investigation’ (February 9, 2023, by Zane Woodford)

January 2023

Nick Beaton sues the RCMP for breach of privacy (January 5, 2023, by Tim Bousquet)

November 2022

Internal RCMP report raises questions about officers’ actions — but about SIRT too (November 20, 2022, by Stephen Kimber)

Was the mass murderer a drug smuggler? (November 18, 2022, by Jennifer Henderson)

Did the Mounties charge Lisa Banfield to distract from their own failures? Probably (November 6, 2022, by Stephen Kimber)

Grief and survivor’s guilt do not simply go away with time (November 4, 2022, by Tim Bousquet)

Survivor’s guilt and the frustrations of living after a mass murder (November 3, 2022, by Tim Bousquet)

Lisa Banfield suing federal, provincial governments alleging ‘trumped up charge’ was designed to cover RCMP failure (November 3, 2022, by Zane Woodford)

Leon Joudrey: a decent man with an impossible burden (November 1, 2022, by Tim Bousquet)

October 2022

The release of Lucki recordings reeks of foot-dragging and possible RCMP coverup (October 26, 2022, by Jennifer Henderson)

September 2022

Testimony details ‘dysfunction at the management level’ of the Nova Scotia RCMP (Morning File, September 12, 2022, by Tim Bousquet)

Cst. Greg Wiley’s selective memory (September 7, 2022, by Tim Bousquet)

The bravery of Lisa Banfield, the cowardice of Greg Wiley (September 6, 2022, by Tim Bousquet)

August 2022

The view from 10,000 feet: RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki must go (August 25, 2022, by Tim Bousquet)

Were Nova Scotia Mounties right to refuse to identify the mass killer’s weapons? (August 21, 2022, by Stephen Kimber)

July 2022

Will the mass casualty commission report even matter? (July 25, 2022, by Stephen Kimber)

What’s the point of the Mass Casualty Commission? (Morning File, July 21, 2022, by Tim Bousquet)

The mass murderer was a thief, a drug runner, and a corrupt tax cheat (July 19, 2022, by Tim Bousquet)

Lisa Banfield and the search for ‘truth’ (July 17, 2022, by Stephen Kimber)

An RCMP officer’s evolving recollection of Brenda Forbes’ complaint about the mass murderer (July 14, 2022, by Joan Baxter)

‘Just complementary and just sweet’: Lisa Banfield’s 19 years of abuse (July 13, 2022, by Tim Bousquet)

She had a bad date with the future mass murderer, went back to his apartment, and an RCMP officer walked in (July 12, 2022, by Tim Bousquet)

A month before the mass murders, the perpetrator went to Pictou to kill someone else (July 12, 2022, by Tim Bousquet)

Brenda Forbes tried to warn neighbours and the RCMP about the “psychopath” in Portapique years before he went on his murderous rampage. No one listened. (July 12, 2022, by Joan Baxter)

‘A greedy, overbearing, little bastard’: the life of a terrible man, from university ‘asshole’ to mass murderer (July 12, 2022, by Tim Bousquet)

Making a murderer: the multi-generational violence of the mass murderer’s family (July 11, 2022, by Tim Bousquet)

Lisa Banfield is the target of innuendo, misinformation, and lies, much of it couched in misogyny (Morning File, July 4, 2022, by Tim Bousquet)

June 2022

Letter to RCMP Commissioner Lucki rebuked her for trying to influence messaging after mass murders (June 28, 2022, by Jennifer Henderson)

What the Mounties don’t want you to know? Everything (June 26, 2022, by Stephen Kimber)

RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki tried to ‘jeopardize’ mass murder investigation to advance Trudeau’s gun control efforts (June 21, 2022, by Jennifer Henderson)

Masculinity, as defined by a friend of a mass murderer: “Men want art work that’s a picture of a gun enlarged seven feet high” (Morning File, June 17, 2022, by Tim Bousquet)

Two years after Portapique, call-takers and dispatchers are still struggling (June 14, 2022, by Jennifer Henderson)

‘We really don’t need any more police officers; we really don’t need any more money’ (June 10, 2022, by Tim Bousquet)

27 minutes: the RCMP’s communications division hesitated when the public most needed to be warned about the mass murderer (June 9, 2022, by Tim Bousquet)

Missed communications among Communications personnel led to failure to alert public to the killer’s fake police car (June 7, 2022, by Jennifer Henderson)

How the mass murderer leisurely drove through the main streets of Truro without being stopped by police (June 6, 2022, by Tim Bousquet)

Mass Casualty Commissioners considering request to allow direct cross-examination by victims’ lawyers (June 4, 2022, by Jennifer Henderson)

The parallels between the Norwegian and Nova Scotian mass murders: how commanders responded to unfolding events (June 2, 2022, by Jennifer Henderson)

May 2022

Cpl. Rodney Peterson is “not tactically sound” and “puts us at risk” says fellow cop Nick Dorrington (May 30, 2022, by Tim Bousquet)

The Mass Casualty Commission and the Catch-22 of witness ‘accommodation’ (May 29, 2022, by Stephen Kimber)

Bodies of five murder victims weren’t discovered by the RCMP for more than 18 hours after they were killed (May 29, 2022, by Tim Bousquet)

How RCMP commanders’ bumbling response to Portapique allowed the killer to continue his murder spree (May 27, 2022, by Tim Bousquet)

“I have to live with that, and I’ve lived with that for two-plus years”: emotional testimony about RCMP mistakes during the mass murders (May 26, 2022, by Tim Bousquet)

Victims’ families: ‘trauma informed’ inquiry has ‘further traumatized’ us (May 25, 2022, by Jennifer Henderson)

The clock is ticking down on the Mass Casualty Commission (May 22, 2022, by Stephen Kimber)

RCMP Chief Supt. Chris Leather is being investigated concerning decision to not alert the public about the mass murderer’s fake police car (May 17, 2022, by Jennifer Henderson)

There’s no meaning in mass murder (Morning File, May 16, 2022, by Tim Bousquet)

Tech issues bedevilled the RCMP response to the mass murders of 2020 (May 16, 2022, by Tim Bousquet)

After the mass murders of April 2020, Truro police chief Dave MacNeil stood up to RCMP “fixers” (May 13, 2022, by Tim Bousquet)

RCMP officers privately warned their loved ones that a killer was on the loose, but didn’t warn the broader public (May 12, 2022, by Tim Bousquet)

Years before the mass murders of April 2020, police were offered access to the province’s emergency alert system but turned it down (May 10, 2022, by Jennifer Henderson)

‘Frantic panic’: it was the RCMP, and not the public, who panicked during the mass murders (May 9, 2022, by Tim Bousquet)

Two cops who attended to the shooting of Heather O’Brien contradict each other (Morning File, May 6, 2022, by Tim Bousquet)

April 2022

Yesterday, the Mass Casualty Commission made public two statements James Banfield gave to police (News items #2 and 3, Morning File, April 29, 2022, by Tim Bousquet)

The RCMP didn’t tell the public about the mass murderer’s fake police car because they didn’t want to create a ‘frantic panic’ (April 27, 2022, by Tim Bousquet)

Lisa McCully was ‘creeped out’ by a neighbour in Portapique; then he killed her (April 27, 2022, by Tim Bousquet)

“I didn’t know he was the devil”: women recall their experiences with the mass murderer (April 25, 2022, by Tim Bousquet)

It’s been 2 years since the mass murders, and we still haven’t collectively mourned (Morning File, April 19, 2022, by Tim Bousquet)

As and after Gina Goulet was murdered, RCMP made repeated mistakes pursuing the killer (April 13, 2022, by Jennifer Henderson and Tim Bousquet)

Cst. Heidi Stevenson wanted the public to be warned about the killer driving a fake police car; RCMP higher-ups said no (April 11, 2022, by Tim Bousquet)

Dave Westlake doesn’t have malice towards the two RCMP cops who shot at him, but he wonders how they missed (April 11, 2022, by Jennifer Henderson)

Relying on junk science, the RCMP made a terrible decision during the mass murders (Morning File, April 8, 2022, by Tim Bousquet)

Here’s how Cst. Craig Hubley killed the mass murderer (April 5, 2022, by Tim Bousquet)

Nick Beaton has every right to be angry, but…  (April 4, 2022, by Stephen Kimber)

A Tragedy of Errors: how RCMP mistakes, missteps, and miscommunications failed to contain a mass murderer (April 3, 2022, by Tim Bousquet)

March 2022

“I’m going to blow his fucking head off”: A Glenholme couple’s close call with a mass murderer (March 31, 2022, by Jennifer Henderson)

a memorial on the side of the road
A memorial for Alanna Jenkins, Sean McLeod, and Tom Bagley on Hunter Road. Photo: Joan Baxter.

The RCMP didn’t warn the public a mass murderer was on the loose, but people on Hunter Road figured it out themselves (March 30, 2022, by Tim Bousquet)

First 3 cops at Portapique testify at public inquiry (March 28, 2022, by Tim Bousquet)

Cheating and beating: the tragic lead-up to the Portapique massacre (March 22, 2022, by Jennifer Henderson)

“If he had come to my house that night in a police car, I would have opened my door and welcomed him in, and I would probably have been dead”  (March 14, 2022, by Jennifer Henderson)

“I wasn’t surprised,” said Chris Wortman after his nephew killed 22 people  (March 11, 2022, by Tim Bousquet)

Lisa Banfield and cops who responded to Portapique will testify under oath at the mass murder inquiry  (March 10, 2022, by Tim Bousquet)

Two kids were hanging out, listening to music, when they saw the man who had just killed 13 people in Portapique  (March 9, 2022, by Tim Bousquet)

‘A couple of glasses of wine,’ poor communications, and indecision about alerting the public were factors in RCMP command decisions after Portapique shootings  (March 8, 2022, by Jennifer Henderson)

Inquiry documents detail shoot-up of Onslow Fire Hall  (March 4, 2022, by Jennifer Henderson)

The mass murder inquiry has a crisis of legitimacy  (Morning File, March 4, 2022, by Tim Bousquet)

a building on a street
The Elks Lodge in Houlton, Maine. Photo: Tim Bousquet

The Maine connection: the Houlton Elks Lodge, the call that precipitated the murder spree, and how the killer obtained his guns  (March 4, 2022, by Jennifer Henderson)

Mass murder inquiry: here’s what the victims’ families want to question cops about  (March 3, 2022, by Tim Bousquet)

“I don’t know who has command”: RCMP confusion on the ground in Portapique  (March 1, 2022, by Jennifer Henderson)

February 2022

Night of Hell: here’s what happened in Portapique on April 18, 2020  (February 28, 2022, by Tim Bousquet and Jennifer Henderson)

The first day of the mass murder inquiry was dominated by a condescending and offensive panel on mental health  (February 23, 2022, by Tim Bousquet)

The inquiry into the Nova Scotia mass murders begins today; here are some of the questions we have  (February 22, 2022, by Tim Bousquet)

Families’ statement  (February 16, 2022, by Tim Bousquet)

October 2021

Mass Casualty Commission’s public hearings are moved back four months  (October 14, 2021, by Jennifer Henderson)

Mass Casualty Commission’s recommendations will not be binding on government  (October 4, 2021, by Jennifer Henderson)

September 2021

Lisa Banfield wants part of mass murderer’s estate (September 28, 2021, by Tim Bousquet)

“An apology would be nice and I would like to know what happened”: people suffering from the Nova Scotia mass murders speak to commission  (September 27, 2021, by Jennifer Henderson)

Mass Casualty Commission schedules Open Houses for public input (September 10, 2021, by Jennifer Henderson)

June 2021

Mass murderer intended to kill five more people, says RCMP  (June 17, 2021, by Tim Bousquet)

Lawsuit alleges police failures during Nova Scotia’s mass murder  (June 17, 2021, by Jennifer Henderson)

April 2021

“People grieve differently:” How Nova Scotians remember  (Morning File, April 19, 2021, by Suzanne Rent)

A “Conversation About Femicide” connects domestic violence to mass murders  (April 16, 2021, by Yvette d’Entremont)

March 2021

Killer’s spouse says she hid in a tree cavity the night of the mass murder  (March 9, 2021, by Tim Bousquet)

SIRT says ballistics report confirmed officers fired just five shots outside Onslow Fire Hall (March 3, 2021, by Jennifer Henderson)

The cops who shot up the Onslow Fire Hall committed no crime, rules SIRT  (March 3, 2021, by Tim Bousquet)

February 2021

New details emerge on what happened just prior to the mass murderer’s rampage  (Morning File, February 12, 2021, by Tim Bousquet)

the green roadsign to Portapique with a tartan sash tied around the post
The Portapique sign on Highway 2 was adorned with a NS tartan sash following the mass shooting that began there on April 18, 2020. Photo: Joan Baxter

Lisa Banfield seeks to keep court records sealed  (Morning File, February 9, 2021, item by Tim Bousquet)

January 2021

It sure feels like a whole lot of nothing is happening with the mass murder inquiry and investigation  (Morning File, January 25, 2021, by Tim Bousquet)

Three times in the last year, violent men have been driving look-alike police cars  (Morning File, January 22, 2021, by Tim Bousquet)

December 2020

After the Nova Scotia mass murderer bought property on Portland Street, the houses next door burned down  (December 28, 2020, by Zane Woodford)

Police found $705,000 in cash at killer’s property in Portapique  (December 16, 2020, by Tim Bousquet)

Mark Furey isn’t in a conflict, Donald Trump won by a landslide, and other tales from the alternate universe  (December 13, 2020, by Stephen Kimber)

The RCMP repeatedly shows a reckless disregard for public safety  (Morning File, December 11, 2020, by Tim Bousquet)

New information is revealed about the weapons used by the mass murderer, and it appears he was heading to the city to kill someone else  (December 9, 2020, by Tim Bousquet)

Commonlaw spouse of killer, and two others, charged with supplying ammo used in mass murders  (December 4, 2020, by Tim Bousquet)

November 2020

3 big stories the Examiner is covering extensively: the pandemic, the mass murders, and the lobster fishery  (Morning File, November 24, 2020, by Tim Bousquet)

Portapique Church Hall. Photo: Joan Baxter

In the hours after the mass murders, someone gave “erroneous” information to police  (November 16, 2020, by Tim Bousquet)

October 2020

Reports from inquiry into Nova Scotia mass shooting due in 2022, third commissioner announced  (October 22, 2020, by Zane Woodford)

September 2020

We “drove the back roads”: On Saturday, April 18, the mass murderer and his common-law spouse travelled around the province, looking at various locations. Just hours later, those sites were associated with the murderer’s rampage.” (September 23, 2020, by Tim Bousquet)

Financial expert: newly released documents show mass murderer was not an RCMP informant  (September 21, 2020, by Tim Bousquet)

Tim Houston says Mark Furey has a conflict of interest in the mass murder inquiry  (September 10, 2020, by Tim Bousquet)

What does it mean to be “Nova Scotia Strong”?  (September 9, 2020, by Philip Moscovitch)

August 2020

The mass murderer’s connection to a drug dealer  (August 21, 2020, by Tim Bousquet)

The RCMP kept secret information any TV watcher could’ve predicted  (August 13, 2020, by Tim Bousquet)

February 12 was a strange day for the man who two months later would murder 22 people  (August 10, 2020, by Paul Palango)

Michael Bryant has deleted his dickish tweet about Atlantic Canada and replaced it with a dickish apology  (Morning File, August 6, 2020, by Tim Bousquet)

The RCMP’s statement about the mass murder investigation is an exercise in obfuscation  (August 4, 2020, by Tim Bousquet)

July 2020

Nova Scotia RCMP release long statement denying mass shooting details unsealed this week  (July 30, 2020, by Zane Woodford)

Celebrating the inquiry: ‘This was because of the families, our determination, our drive, and the Nova Scotians, the Bluenosers’  (July 29, 2020, by Yvette d’Entremont)

Federal and provincial governments to hold public inquiry into Nova Scotia mass shootings  (July 28, 2020, by Zane Woodford and Yvette d’Entremont)

Witness told police that mass murderer “builds fires and burns bodies, is a sexual predator, and supplies drugs in Portapique and Economy”  (July 27, 2020, by Tim Bousquet)

Protesters decry ‘shocking and paternalistic’ decision to hold review, not inquiry into Nova Scotia mass shooting  (July 27, 2020, by Yvette d’Entremont)

Portapique: how to (maybe) turn a rickety review into a transparent public inquiry  (July 26, 2020, by Stephen Kimber)

Public anger mounts at decision not to hold a full public inquiry into the April mass murders  (July 24, 2020, by Yvette d’Entremont)

Not having a public inquiry into the mass murders is a disservice to victims’ families, the public, and common sense  (Morning File, July 24, 2020, by Tim Bousquet)

• “No public inquiry into mass murders: ‘They keep saying they don’t want to dig stuff up and hurt the families more than they have already been hurt. But a public inquiry is the one and only thing we are asking for and I think we deserve that.’” (July 23, 2020, by Tim Bousquet, Yvette d’Entremont, and Jennifer Henderson)

a group of people walking with signs on a sidewalk on a summer day
Family and friends of the 22 victims killed during April’s mass shooting held a peaceful march in Bible Hill on Wednesday morning to draw attention to their demands for a public inquiry. Photo: Yvette d’Entremont

300 family members and friends of mass murder victims march and demand public inquiry  (July 22, 2020, by Yvette d’Entremont)

“An epic failure”: The first duty of police is to preserve life; through the Nova Scotia massacre, the RCMP saved no one  (July 18, 2020, by Paul Palango)

Shelter workers also call for public inquiry into mass murder  (July 16, 2020, by Yvette d’Entremont)

Son of mass murder victim calls for public inquiry  (July 16, 2020, by Jennifer Henderson)

Petition calls for mass murder inquiry with “feminist lens”  (July 14, 2020, by Jennifer Henderson)

Why we need a full public inquiry into the Nova Scotia massacre  (July 13, 2020, by Paul Palango)

Bill Casey: the RCMP is “more interested in real estate than public safety”  (July 7, 2020, by Jennifer Henderson)

From cop to survivor: Cary Ryan is a survivor of domestic abuse. She’s also a former cop who says she was harassed in the workplace because of her mental illness. Now, she studies how cops respond to domestic violence. (July 7, 2020, by Suzanne Rent)

Cabinet roundup: Northwood review, mass shooting inquiry, schools, Liscombe Lodge, and Northern Pulp  (July 3, 2020, by Jennifer Henderson)

June 2020

“Body parts still in the automobile” of mass murder victim when RCMP released the car to the victim’s family, claims lawsuit  (June 17, 2020, by Tim Bousquet)

“A political act of opportunism”: Conservatives go hard right on gun laws  (June 17, 2020, by Joan Baxter)

A poster with a red heart on a blue background, with names hand written on it
A poster at the roadside memorial in Portapique commemorates the 22 people killed in the mass shooting that began there on April 18, 2020. Photo: Joan Baxter

Nova Scotians to determine questions and guide research into mass shooting:  New program aims to ‘find answers and healing’ in the aftermath of tragedy by seeking community input” (June 16, 2020, by Yvette d’Entremont)

Mass murderer left a will directing that his remains be placed in the Portapique Cemetery  (June 12, 2020, by Tim Bousquet)

Portapique Cemetery: we won’t accept the body of the mass murderer  (June 12, 2020, by Jennifer Henderson)

Bill Casey: the shooting of the Onslow fire hall reflects a broader RCMP communications failure  (June 9, 2020, by Jennifer Henderson)

Gunning for change: doctors in the gun control debate in Canada  (June 8, 2020, by Joan Baxter)

Colchester councillor: change in RCMP policing model left information gap on shooter  (June 5, 2020, by Jennifer Henderson and Joan Baxter)

RCMP Rural Policing: Strangers in a Hurry, Policing Strangers  (June 5, 2020, by Chris Murphy)

Inquiry into mass shooting will be announced soon  (June 5, 2020, by Jennifer Henderson)

Mass shooting lawsuit amended; victims’ families call for public inquiry  (June 2, 2020, by Jennifer Henderson)

May 2020

Nova Scotia massacre: Did the RCMP “risk it out” one time too many?  (May 30, 2020, by Paul Palango)

RCMP’s rural policing is an ongoing disaster, say Colchester County councillors  (May 28, 2020 by Paul Palango)

Opposition critics on the Advisory Council on the Status of Women call for an inquiry into mass murder, but McNeil government demurs  (May 27, 2020, by Joan Baxter and Jennifer Henderson)

Premier McNeil: A message from my grandmother about the RCMP  (May 27, 2020, by Paul Palango)

Here’s what the RCMP doesn’t want you to know about the mass murder investigation  (May 25, 2020, by Tim Bousquet)

Mark Furey and the RCMP’s secret army of Smurfs  (May 25, 2020, by Paul Palango)

Dear Mr. Premier: I know you’re busy but…  (May 24, 2020, by Stephen Kimber)

Cracks are forming in the RCMP cone of silence  (May 21, 2020, by Paul Palango)

This is why the Halifax Examiner keeps going to court  (May 20, 2020, by Tim Bousquet)

a fake police car
The fake police car. Photo: Mass Casualty Commission Credit: Mass Casualty Commission

Court document provides new info on mass murder  (May 19, 2020, by Tim Bousquet)

Lots of people knew about the mass murderer’s destructive behaviour, and did nothing  (May 19, 2020, by Tim Bousquet)

• “Canada is an ‘after-the-fact country’: Could a red flag law have helped prevent the mass shootings in Nova Scotia or help reduce gun violence in Canada? Or do such laws give cover to the failure of policing agencies to act under the authority they already have?” (May 18, 2020, by Joan Baxter)

“He was a psychopath”: A former resident of Portapique says she called the RCMP to tell them the future gunman assaulted his domestic partner and that he had illegal weapons. The police took no action.” (May 12, 2020, by Joan Baxter)

Trigger Warning: The ban on assault-style weapons comes in the wake of the Nova Scotia shootings, but it is just one cautious step in a decades-long debate over gun control  (May 8, 2020, by Joan Baxter)

Source: Halifax police held back response to mass murderer  (May 4, 2020, by Tim Bousquet)

The mass murder isn’t “senseless” in a culture that excuses the violence of white men  (May 1, 2020, by El Jones)

April 2020

There’s free psychological help for people in distress about the mass murders  (April 28, 2020, by Yvette d’Entremont)

Murderer escaped Portapique within 10 minutes of police arriving  (April 28, 2020, by Tim Bousquet)

What to do if you think you’re being stopped by a fake cop  (Morning File, April 27, 2020, by Tim Bousquet)

A young white 17 year old woman with long straight brown hair and glasses, wearing a Tshirt and plaid pants, playing her fiddle in her livingroom.
Emily Tuck playing her fiddle for the Nova Scotia Kitchen Party for COVID-19. Screenshot from Facebook video.

“There’s some fiddle for ya”: A Portapique love story  (April 26, 2020 by Tim Bousquet)

Male violence: “A pandemic in its own right”  (April 26, 2020, by Suzanne Rent)

Portapique tragedy: We need a full public inquiry  (April 26, 2020, by Stephen Kimber)

A memorial trail of grief and love: Nova Scotians mourn the victims of last week’s tragedy  (April 26, 2020, by Joan Baxter)

Photo: Joan Baxter.

The killer was on Hunter Road for nearly three hours  (April 25, 2020, by Tim Bousquet)

13 hours of terror: tracking a mass murderer’s rampage through Nova Scotia  (April 25, 2020, by Erica Butler, Tim Bousquet, Jennifer Henderson, Joan Baxter, and Yvette d’Entremont)

How to heal with furry companions: Like humans, pets can experience trauma and grief, but they and their owners can recover together. (April 23, 2020, by Suzanne Rent)

The anatomy of failure: How and why the emergency alert system was not activated when a mass murderer was roaming around Nova Scotia  (April 22, 2020, by Tim Bousquet, Jennifer Henderson, Joan Baxter, and Yvette d’Entremont)

These are the 22 people murdered in Nova Scotia on April 18-19, 2020  (April 22, 2020 by Erica Butler, Joan Baxter, Jennifer Henderson, Tim Bousquet, Philip Moscovitch, Yvette d’Entremont, Linda Pannozzo, and El Jones)

“There’s a person down there with a gun”: first responder audio from the beginning of the murder spree  (April 22, 2020, by Tim Bousquet)

There are 22 victims in the weekend murder spree  (April 21, 2021, by Tim Bousquet)

A time for grief  (April 21, 2021, by Yvette d’Entremont)

RCMP investigator: There are “in excess of 19 victims” in Nova Scotia’s mass murder rampage  (April 20, by Tim Bousquet)

Too much pain: Here are 15 victims in yesterday’s mass killing  (Morning File, April 20, 2020, by Tim Bousquet)


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Tim Bousquet is the editor and publisher of the Halifax Examiner. Twitter @Tim_Bousquet Mastodon

Jennifer Henderson is a freelance journalist and retired CBC News reporter.

Joan Baxter is an award-winning Nova Scotian journalist and author of seven books, including "The Mill: Fifty Years of Pulp and Protest." Website: www.joanbaxter.ca; Twitter @joan_baxter

Yvette d’Entremont is a bilingual (English/French) journalist and editor who enjoys covering health, science, research, and education.

Suzanne Rent is a writer, editor, and researcher. You can follow her on Twitter @Suzanne_Rent and on Mastodon

Zane Woodford is the Halifax Examiner’s municipal reporter. He covers Halifax City Hall and contributes to our ongoing PRICED OUT housing series. Twitter @zwoodford

Philip Moscovitch is a freelance writer, audio producer, fiction writer, and editor of Write Magazine.

Stephen Kimber is an award-winning writer, editor, broadcaster, and educator. A journalist for more than 50 years whose work has appeared in most Canadian newspapers and magazines, he is the author of...

El Jones is a poet, journalist, professor, community advocate, and activist. Her work focuses on social justice issues such as feminism, prison abolition, anti-racism, and decolonization.