In April 2020, the lives of countless Nova Scotians were forever changed in the worst mass shooting in our country's history. It's been almost three years since we lost Tom Bagley, Kristen and baby Beaton, Jamie Blair, Greg Blair, Joy Bond and Peter Bond, Lillian Campbell Hyslop, Corrie Ellison, Gina Goulet, Lisa McCully, Dawn Madsen, Frank Gulenchyn, Sean McLeod, Alanna Jenkins, Heather O'Brien, Jolene Oliver, Emily Tuck, Aaron Tuck, Cst. Heidi Stevenson, Joey Webber, Elizabeth Joanne Thomas, John Joseph Zahl. We remember them.
On March 30, 2023, the Mass Casualty Commission (the Commission), the independent public inquiry created to examine the April 2020 Nova Scotia mass casualty incident, issued their final report, which set out lessons learned and recommendations that could help prevent and respond to similar incidents in the future, and help make communities safer.
Today, the federal Minister of Public Safety, the Honourable Marco Mendicino, and Nova Scotia Attorney General and Minister of Justice, the Honourable Brad Johns, announced the appointment of Linda Lee Oland as Founding Chair of the Progress Monitoring Committee (PMC).
The Commission's final report called on the Governments of Canada and Nova Scotia to establish an independent body to monitor the progress of both governments as they assume the responsibility of advancing the important findings in the report. The PMC will play this critical role and support engagement and transparency as Canada, Nova Scotia and other partners work collectively to advance this vital work.
Ms. Oland will be given an initial one-year mandate as Founding Chair. During this time, Ms. Oland will consult with representatives of organizations implicated in the Commission's recommendations and findings, as well as with other interested individuals and organizations, in order to identify a list of proposed PMC members to both governments.
Recognizing the devastating impact the mass casualty event has had on families and communities, the Founding Chair will ensure the work of the PMC are guided by trauma informed and victim centric principles.
As Founding Chair, Ms. Oland will provide leadership to the PMC to monitor the implementation of the Commission's key findings by fostering discussion and relationships with various fora, liaising with provinces and territories, and building consensus among partners, and seeking opportunities to support the governments of Canada and Nova Scotia's work to build safer communities.
In addition to today's appointment, the Government of Canada is continuing to make progress on its commitment to address the report's recommendations. The RCMP has already made significant changes to date in the areas of emergency alerting, emergency response team resourcing, radio communications, and personnel wellness, which are outlined on the RCMP's website. The Government of Canada also continues to deliver on its commitment to end gender-based violence through the recently launched National Action Plan to End Gender-based Violence and the federal Gender-based Violence Strategy.
