The Mountie who was among the first to tell the public about the 2020 mass shooting in Portapique testified yesterday that some of the early descriptions police provided the public regarding the extent of the situation were not consistent with the reality of what had happened.

Chief Supt. Chris Leather was questioned by Commission lawyer Rachel Young about language he used at news conferences and in press releases, including his comment during the first news conference on April 19, 2020, that the RCMP had responded to a “firearms call” the night before.

The term “Firearms complaint” was also used by an RCMP communications officer in the first tweet about the rampage on April 18, even though at that time the Mounties were aware an active shooter had murdered multiple people in Portapique, N.S.

Three days later, Leather told a news conference he was “very satisfied” with that first tweet sent by the RCMP.

However, in his testimony Wednesday, Leather agreed with Young that the term “firearms complaint” mischaracterized the reality and didn’t conform with RCMP policies requiring police to provide the public with accurate information.

 

 

An elementary school principal from Nova Scotia has been charged in relation to an alleged sexual assault that took place 20 years ago involving a 14-year-old.

RCMP say they received a report last month of a sexual assault, that took place between the fall of 2001 and the summer of 2002.

51-year-old Mark Alexander Thornton, of Yarmouth, was charged with sexual exploitation and sexual assault.

He was the principal of Plymouth School, a Primary-Grade 6 school near Yarmouth, but the Tri-County Regional Centre for Education has put him on administrative leave. 

He has been released on conditions and will be back in court on October 11th.

 

 

The Nova Scotia government quietly opened the booking site for children between six months and four years of age to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

The Province originally said it would open those bookings in early August, but bookings for as early as August 1st are now available on the website. 

Most Children will need two shots of the Moderna vaccine, the only one approved for children in that age group in Canada. The doses will need to be at least eight weeks apart.

 Children will be considered fully vaccinated 14 days after their last dose. If a child has had COVID-19 they need to wait at least 8 weeks after they stop showing symptoms. 

The province estimates there are around 34,000 children aged six months to four years old in Nova Scotia.