Group begins long, slow work of monitoring the implementation of Mass Casualty Commission recommendations

There wasn’t much to tell after the first day and a half of meetings by the group tasked with monitoring the implementation of the 130 recommendations of the Mass Casualty Commission.

Retired Justice Linda Oland, who chairs the Progress Monitoring Committee, told media on Tuesday afternoon that the group had heard from representatives of the federal and provincial governments and the RCMP on their work to implement the MCC’s recommendations.

The group that was founded in September has also made progress on developing its plan for how to monitor the progress.

Conversations in the hearings are confidential.

“I don’t have any complaints, I don’t see anyone dragging their feet,” said Oland.

“What I see is inertia of motion, governments are continuing on.”

After hearing from 230 witnesses and 76 days of public sessions, the commission released its 2,964-page report in March into what led up to the April 18 and 19, 2020, killings of 22 Nova Scotians and one unborn child by Gabriel Wortman.

The report was highly critical of the RCMP for not acting on repeated calls from community members and from the Truro Police Service that Wortman had illegal guns and was committing acts of violence and intimidation.

Of the commission’s 130 recommendations, 70 were for police agencies.

‘Many red flags’

“While no person or institution could have predicted the perpetrator’s specific actions on April 18 and 19, 2020, his pattern and escalation of violence could have and should have been addressed,” commission chair and former Nova Scotia chief justice Michael MacDonald said while delivering the report, titled Turning the Tide Together.

“Many red flags about his violent and illegal behaviour were known by a broad range of people and had been brought to the attention of police and others over a number of years,” MacDonald said.

The report also made recommendations about addressing gender-based violence, ensuring public alert systems are used during emergencies and an expanded collaborative model to support community safety.

According to the RCMP, the national police force has so far complied with two of the recommendations: that it conduct an external review of frontline supervisor training and that it publishes a document on how it selects, develops, recognizes and rewards commissioned officers.

Oland cautioned that many of the recommendations were long term – taking years to implement.

Asked about whether the RCMP was working toward implementing the recommendation that it replace its current six-and-a-half-month training program at Depot in Saskatchewan with a broader program, Oland said, “We don’t have info I can share directly, I can say we have not heard any of the recommendations have been rejected.”

The government of Nova Scotia announced a review of this province’s policing services in September.

There are currently 11 police agencies in Nova Scotia — 10 municipal police forces and the RCMP serving as the provincial police agency.

The next meeting of the Progress Monitoring Committee will be held in the spring in Colchester County.

‘Still healing, still suffering’

“The community is still healing, still suffering and that is going to go on for a very long time,” said Colchester County Mayor Christine Blair, who is on the monitoring committee.

“… The veneer of normalcy is thin.”

Also serving on the monitoring committee are Alison Whelan, senior assistant deputy minister of reform, accountability and culture for the RCMP ; RCMP management advisory board member Simon Coakeley; Public Safety Canada senior assistant deputy minister Talal Dakabab; Annapolis Royal Police Service Chief Mark Kane; Jennifer Glennie, provincial executive council office associate deputy minister; Kristina Fifield of the Avalon Sexual Assault Centre; lawyer Tuma Young, representing Indigenous communities; and Vanessa Fells, representing African-Nova Scotian communities.

An intense interest to participate from the families of victims means seven will serve on a rotational basis. They include: Dan Jenkins, Crystal Mendiuk, Charlene Bagley, Scott McLeod, Jennifer Zahi Bruland, David Burkholder and Tammy Oliver-McCurdie.