Regional and local governments across the West Kootenay are flying their flags at half mast to honour the 22 people who lost their lives during a shooting rampage in Nova Scotia last weekend.
During the incident, a Halifax man impersonated an RCMP officer and murdered people in a number of communities in the province. A mountie and a 17-year-old were among the dead.
READ MORE: A look at some of the lives lost in Nova Scotia mass shooting
Regional District of Kootenay Boundary board chair Diane Langman said flags have already been lowered at their Trail and Grand Forks sites to pay respect to the victims.
“On behalf of our board of directors and staff, I want to express our sadness and shock at this horrific event; we recognize that this is a horrible time for all those families who lost loved ones, and for their friends, neighbours and coworkers,” said Langman in a news release.
“Nova Scotia has lost a brave RCMP member serving her community and so many other innocent people whose deaths have cast a large shadow that reaches as far as our regional district.”
City of Rossland mayor Kathy Moore said flags are also being flown at half mast at their facilities to show support for the victims.
“Such wanton violence should be unimaginable in Canada but this shows that sadly, once again, we are not immune to the horrors that infect other parts of the world,” said Moore in a statement.
“Our thoughts are with the survivors that they may find peace.”
Flags have also been lowered to half-mast at buildings in Nova Scotia and Ontario.
The incident is the worst mass shooting in terms of casualties in Canadian history.
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