The Mass Casualty Commission report into the April 2020 mass shooting has been released.
The 3000 page report included 130 recommendations, over half of those were directed towards the RCMP calling for review, restructure, and for them to start taking accountability for their mistakes.
The 3,000-page document includes a long list of failures by the RCMP before, during, and after the mass shooting.
The commission notes there were gaps and errors in the RCMP’s response to the shooting and that it failed to communicate with the public during and after the tragedy.
The commission found that the RCMP was not prepared to execute a large-scale evacuation of civilians during an active threat, and it took hours to alert the public that the shooter was driving a replica RCMP cruiser.
After the tragedy, the MCC says crime scenes and evidence weren’t always treated with care and were sometimes overlooked.
The commission is especially critical of the RCMP’s lack of transparency with families of the victims and the general public.
The commissioners state that problems within the RCMP have already been identified by past commissions, reports and inquiries, and that the problems have created a “toxic workplace culture.”
It also notes there have been efforts to reform the organization, but those have mostly failed, and the same problems persist.
The report states that if the RCMP’s management does not share a commitment to making these changes, these efforts will likely fail as well.
A Semi-Truck jack-knifed on Hwy 104 Distance Marker 192 near Barneys River, Pictou County.
The highway was down to one lane controlled for several hours.
The highway reopened just Before midnight last night.
The Town of New Glasgow is going to give some time for a new fire services agreement to be established.
While New Glasgow was considering the possibility of withdrawing from the mutual aid fire agreement if others weren’t willing to look at updating it, New Glasgow CAO Lisa MacDonald said it appears that will be unnecessary as a group has formed to do just that.
Leaders in New Glasgow have argued that the existing agreement which was drafted in the late 1980s is out of date.
The Town of New Glasgow Fire Department is the only fire department that has full-time paid staff providing 24/7 coverage.
They also have paid hourly members and certain equipment that other towns don’t have. Of particular note is a ladder truck, which the town will be looking to replace in the coming years.
MacDonald said their council is giving the group the opportunity to come up with a new modern agreement, and hopefully that can be achieved before June when council is scheduled to have the discussion again.
Residents in Alma will soon have access to more affordable housing thanks to a multi-million dollar investment from the provincial government.
The province announced an investment of $1.22 million to create 28 affordable housing units.
To ensure they are affordable, they will be offered at up to 80 per cent off the local market rate.
Pictou West MLA Karla MacFarlane said, “This will bring much needed relief to hardworking families who are struggling with the cost of living.”
The investment was part of an announcement on March 24 where the province and Canada Mortgage Housing Corporation invested $16.6 million in 10 affordable housing projects across the province.
The projects will create 236 new rental units with over half offered at rents at or below 80 per cent of the local market rent.
Nova Scotia reported one COVID-19 death from a previous reporting period in its latest update.
The province also reported 191 new cases confirmed by PCR testing.
Nova Scotia Health reported that 126 people are in hospital with COVID-19, 2 of which are in ICU.
