Inside the Truro hotel where public proceedings for the inquiry into the 2020 Nova Scotia mass shooting are underway, many of the chairs reserved for the families of the victims sat empty on Thursday.
Instead, the family members were just outside, joined by supporters protesting what they see as a weak public inquiry into the rampage that stole the lives of 22 people during the weekend of April 18 and 19, 2020.
Thursday’s protest came after the inquiry’s commissioners agreed to grant accommodations for two senior Mounties who will not have to face cross-examination from lawyers who represent relatives of the victims.
“Where is the inquiry? This is only a review,” read one sign, referencing the fact that families of the victims had to protest in the first place to pressure the federal and provincial governments to launch a public inquiry, instead of the limited review that was originally planned.
But with the inquiry now well underway, protesters told Global News Thursday morning that they have lost faith in the process, that the $25 million spent on the inquiry so far has been a waste, and that the inquiry has turned into the review that they had previously fought against.
They also decried what they called a sanitized version of testimony, since those two senior Mounties will be questioned during Zoom calls that will be recorded and broadcast at a later date.
‘Disheartening’
Charlene Bagley, whose father Tom Bagley was killed in the attacks, said it was a “slap in the face” to have to protest, again, to demand transparency and accountability from the inquiry.
“The families have been patient, I believe. We fought for this two years ago. We did not fight for a review, we were fighting for an inquiry, and pretty much what we got was a review, so it’s very disheartening,” she said.
“At a time when families should have been grieving our loved ones, we were forced out to march and protest.”
She said she wants the inquiry commissioners to “step up” and show that they are truly independent of the RCMP.
Supporter Robert McCabe, part of a group of citizens following along with the inquiry, said he has issues with the commission’s “trauma-informed” approach, saying the trauma of the RCMP officers appears to be prioritized over the trauma of the families.
“What about all of these people’s traumas, that their loved ones are not going to spend Christmas with them? That they’re not going to come home anymore?” he said.
“It just doesn’t look good on the RCMP’s part, and it seems like the Mass Casualty Commission is just playing along with it.”
On Wednesday, after it was announced those RCMP officers will not be able to be cross-examined, the law firm representing 14 of 22 families issued a statement, saying it was instructed not to attend the hearings Wednesday and the next three hearings on the schedule.
Patterson Law said the families are “disheartened and further traumatized” by the commission’s decision to prevent the law firm’s lawyers from directly questioning Staff Sgt. Brian Rehill and Sgt. Andy O’Brien.
Rehill was the RCMP’s risk manager at its Operational Communications Centre in Truro, N.S., when the rampage began in nearby in Portapique on April 18, 2020. When the centre received reports of an active shooter, Rehill assumed command while O’Brien assisted in overseeing the early response.
No reasons were given for the special arrangements for them. The commission has said this information is considered private because it deals with physical or psychological health needs.
Nick Beaton, whose pregnant wife Kristen Beaton was killed in the attacks, told Global News Wednesday that he was angry about the decision to not have Rehill or O’Brien cross-examined.
“Yes, the RCMP had hiccups, made mistakes,” he said. “This is the chance to point it out to prove it so no one else has to go through this.”
Meanwhile, Staff Sgt. Al Carroll, former district commander for Colchester County, was expected to testify Thursday via a live Zoom call. He will be provided with breaks during his appearance, the commission said Tuesday, and could face direct cross-examination.
Lawyers for the families of victims Gina Goulet, Lillian Campbell, Aaron Tuck, Jolene Oliver and Emily Tuck have said in interviews that they will continue to participate in the inquiry despite the restrictions on questioning.
— with files from Graeme Benjamin and The Canadian Press
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