Nova Scotia to hold two minutes of silence to honour mass shooting victims

TRURO, N.S. — Nova Scotia’s premier is inviting people in the province to participate in two minutes of silence this Sunday at 3 p.m. for those lost in last year’s mass shooting.

Iain Rankin will attend a closed gathering on Sunday afternoon in Truro, N.S., organized by the non-profit Nova Scotia Remembers Legacy Society, the government said in a news release on Monday. The event will be livestreamed on the group’s Facebook page.

The government is asking citizens to unite in honouring and remembering the 22 Nova Scotians who were killed on April 18-19, 2020. A 51-year-old gunman committed the murders, including the killing of a pregnant nurse, over a 13-hour period while disguised as an RCMP officer and driving a replica police vehicle.

Rankin said in the release that he hopes Nova Scotians will take time to remember those who died, their families, and those who were injured.

Flags at the legislature will be lowered to half-mast from sunrise on Saturday to sunset on Sunday, and the building will be lit in blue. A lone piper will play on the grounds of the legislature as the flags are lowered, and flags at all provincial government buildings and institutions will also be at half-mast. 

Businesses and community organizations that fly flags are being encouraged by the province to lower them to half-mast for April 18-19. The province is suggesting citizens lower their flags to half-mast and consider putting a Nova Scotia flag in their windows as a way of remembering the tragedy.

Tiff Ward, one of the legacy society’s organizers, said in a news release the various memorial events were created from a desire to show support for the families and others harmed by the mass shooting. 

“Our role is entirely supportive. Grief is a very personal journey. We simply hope to offer a safe place for people to come together and show support for the families and for one another.” 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 12, 2021.

The Canadian Press