On the morning of April 17, the bodies of two dead women were found on a beach near Wharf Road in Bass River. It was the eve of the fourth anniversary of mass shootings and fires that began 10 kilometres away in Portapique.
For people in the surrounding communities, this discovery came as a shocking reminder their trauma is not over.
This is a complicated story dealing with sensitive information. On April 17, the RCMP issued three messages through social media (Twitter). The first, at 7:58am, stated they were at the scene of “an incident” and to avoid the area.
The second message an hour later said they were investigating “a sudden death,” and “at this time, there was no risk to the public.”
Shelly Tower has lived in Bass River for 35 years. She spoke to the Halifax Examiner about her frustration with both the RCMP and the Houston government for failing to get it right when it comes to local people re-living the pain experienced since the horrific events of 2020.
“After what this community has been through, we need clear, distinct information. I know the RCMP can’t comment on an ongoing investigation, but they could have given us some more details, such as ‘two female bodies found; no risk to the public; (not) suspicious deaths’…the RCMP owed it to us to give more information,” says Tower.
The final communication with the public was issued at 6:33pm, April 17. It said, “Investigators have cleared the area and further details will be provided when available.”
Nearly two weeks after the bodies were found, the only additional details provided by the RCMP are that there were actually two dead persons and that no information would be released until autopsies are completed by the Medical Examiner’s office.
That important correction was made after Chronicle Herald reporter Chris Lambie called the RCMP to confirm reports from Bass River residents that in fact two female bodies had been found shot on the beach, and not one as suggested in the RCMPs’ social media post.
Constable Dominic LaFlamme provided the Halifax Examiner with the same information but would not confirm the deceased persons were shot or were female.
In the absence of any official confirmation of details by the RCMP, the rumour mill and social media filled the void.
Tower said she and other Bass River residents initially believed one of the bodies belonged to a man in his twenties who was known to be suicidal. Many days later — and after an obituary was published that confirms the sister of one of the Mass Casualty victims died on April 17 — Tower now suspects police may be dealing with a suicide or a murder-suicide.
No cause of death is mentioned in the obituary and the Examiner is not naming either woman without confirmation from police or family members.
In Tower’s mind, she can’t help but connect the shooting deaths of these two women to the tragedy four years ago. She quoted these words made to the Mass Casualty Commission by former Bass River family doctor Karen Ewing:
The trauma didn’t end when the shooting stopped. Risk from harms that are known to occur after a mass casualty of this magnitude include worsening of mental health, addictions, domestic violence, and suicide.
Tower added, “and that’s what is coming now.”
Dr. Ewing has retired and has not been replaced.
The week of April 17 was an unsettling one for a community already on edge because of the approaching anniversary. Tower said, “That same week, we had a man at large with a gun in Bible Hill and an emergency alert went out that morning (Friday April 19). (Editor’s note: The gunman was arrested a short time later).
“Earlier, on Wednesday, we had deaths on the beach at Bass River. Then on Saturday, April 20, we saw three police cruisers with flashing lights and multiple officers that were deployed somewhere in the Five Islands area. Nothing has been given out about that by the RCMP.”
Psychological and community support
Bass River has a family medicine clinic staffed by a nurse practitioner and there is also a nurse practitioner at a clinic in neighbouring Masstown.
Tower said until recently, she was unaware that people who identify themselves to a clinic as having been affected by the murders can be referred to a psychologist at the hospital in Truro for face-to-face counselling. These sessions are offered at no cost as part of the federal-provincial response to the report from the Mass Casualty Commission.
Another route to obtain free help with grief or anxiety is through an “Intake” phone line staffed Mondays to Fridays by the Office of Mental Health and Addictions. The number to call is 1-855-922-1122. Callers can be referred to an appointment with a psychologist.
Interestingly, when the Examiner called this service looking for information last Friday, the nurse who returned the call asked if I was looking for help as a result of events that happened four years ago or for “something that happened more recently on the beach at Bass River.”
More services appear to be coming but they aren’t in place yet.
In January, the Houston government issued a news release to announce a new model is being developed to address some of the issues people in rural communities are dealing with in the wake of the mass casualty:
The Nova Scotia Hospice Palliative Care Association (NSHPCA) will partner with local community-based organizations to design and deliver grief, bereavement and emotional wellness services within the community… The work will be focused in the Colchester-East Hants area and Cumberland County this year and expanded across the province in 2025. It is supported by a two-year funding commitment of $2.3 million, part of the $18-million funding commitment from the Province of Nova Scotia and the Government of Canada announced in spring 2023.
“Why didn’t I know about this?” asked Tower. “The Houston government can put out a news release, but it gets a failing grade when it comes to communication with the people on the ground.”
Tower said she is worried about her community and it needs more than mental health services. She believes more organized activities, such as soccer and baseball for kids, or coffee clubs and maybe an exercise class for adults, could help people feel less vulnerable. The type of activities that lead to “emotional and community well-being” as envisioned by the government news release.
Bass River has schools and a fire hall. What it is lacking, suggested Tower, is energy on the part of its people who are struggling just to get through the day.
“Right now, we are not OK. Our community needs to be brought back to life. People have been affected by the tragedy that happened four years ago, whether they know it or not. We live 45 minutes from Truro where most people work and the cost of gas, groceries, and electricity has all gone up. People are feeling weighted down, weighted down!”
Bass River is represented by Colchester North MLA Tom Taggart, whom Tower said has “done everything he can” to try to bridge the most recent information gap between the RCMP and his constituents. In the Amherst area, Independent MLA Elizabeth Smith-McCrossin said she has also fielded some calls. On Friday, Smith-McCrossin wrote about the deaths on the beach in her regular newsletter:
I’ve been contacted by several concerned residents of Bass River and neighbouring areas in Colchester and Cumberland, all expressing their deep frustration over the glaring lack of communication regarding the recent deaths and the absence of government support in addressing ongoing trauma.
The Mass Casualty Commission’s recommendations could not be more straightforward; they underscore the urgent need to bridge the gaps in services for addressing mental health issues and providing grief support.
Despite assurances of a comprehensive policing review and allocations of funding for non-profits to establish crucial services, the affected communities continue to be tragically under-served.
Tower knows it could be weeks or months before autopsies are completed and the RCMP have anything to say publicly about the two mysterious deaths. Rightly or wrongly, she thinks the premier should have acknowledged the distress they have created.
“These are traumatic things that happened in an area that suffered the worst of the worst. The premier could have offered condolences or at least acknowledged it was a traumatic week — something to give people some comfort.”