Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Houston, flanked by his wife, Carol, daughter, Paget, and son, Zachary, left to right, addresses supporters after winning a majority government in the provincial election at the Pictou County Wellness Centre in New Glasgow, N.S., on Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan

Tories surge to upset majority win in N.S. election with a campaign focused on health

Platform promised more family doctors, better mental health and more nursing home beds

Nova Scotia Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Houston, flanked by his wife, Carol, daughter, Paget, and son, Zachary, left to right, addresses supporters after winning a majority government in the provincial election at the Pictou County Wellness Centre in New Glasgow, N.S., on Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan
(The Canadian Press)

Ontario unveils paid sick-leave program as Nova Scotia shuts down schools, businesses

Ontario reported 3,480 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday and 24 more deaths linked to the virus

(The Canadian Press)
Two RCMP officers observe a moment of silence to honour slain Const. Heidi Stevenson and the other 21 victims of the mass killings at a checkpoint on Portapique Road in Portapique, N.S. on Friday, April 24, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan

RCMP under scrutiny one year after mass killing that left 22 dead in Nova Scotia

Questions remain about how it took police 13 hours to stop one of the worst mass killings in Canadian history

Two RCMP officers observe a moment of silence to honour slain Const. Heidi Stevenson and the other 21 victims of the mass killings at a checkpoint on Portapique Road in Portapique, N.S. on Friday, April 24, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan
A fire-destroyed property registered to Gabriel Wortman at 200 Portapique Beach Road is seen in Portapique, N.S. on May 8, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan

Nova Scotia mass killer showed off his ‘military’ style gun, claiming it was for movie

Killer fatally shot 22 people in a 13-hour rampage across Nova Scotia

A fire-destroyed property registered to Gabriel Wortman at 200 Portapique Beach Road is seen in Portapique, N.S. on May 8, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan
A woman pays her respects to victims of a mass shooting at a roadblock in Portapique, N.S. on Wednesday, April 22, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan

3 charged, including spouse, with supplying ammunition to Nova Scotia mass shooter

Investigators say they determined the ammunition was purchased and trafficked in Nova Scotia

A woman pays her respects to victims of a mass shooting at a roadblock in Portapique, N.S. on Wednesday, April 22, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan
Fishing boats, loaded with traps, head from port as the lobster season on Nova Scotia’s South Shore begins, in West Dover, N.S., Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2019. RCMP say a 74-year-old man faces charges in connection with a violent clash last month at a lobster pound in southwestern Nova Scotia. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan

Nova Scotia RCMP say man faces assault charges in violent clash at lobster pound

Tensions were high between First Nations fishers and non-Indigenous commercial fishermen

Fishing boats, loaded with traps, head from port as the lobster season on Nova Scotia’s South Shore begins, in West Dover, N.S., Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2019. RCMP say a 74-year-old man faces charges in connection with a violent clash last month at a lobster pound in southwestern Nova Scotia. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan
Robert Syliboy’s lobster fishing boat is shown after being destroyed by a fire in this Monday, Oct. 5, 2020 handout photo. A lobster vessel belonging to a Mi’kmaq fisher has been destroyed by a suspicious fire at a wharf in southwestern Nova Scotia, near waters where a self-regulated Indigenous fishery is underway. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO - Robert Syliboy

Nova Scotia calls on Ottawa to define a ‘moderate livelihood,’ as fishing dispute boils over

A lobster pound was burned to the ground Saturday, destroying the lobster catch of Mi’kmaq fishers

Robert Syliboy’s lobster fishing boat is shown after being destroyed by a fire in this Monday, Oct. 5, 2020 handout photo. A lobster vessel belonging to a Mi’kmaq fisher has been destroyed by a suspicious fire at a wharf in southwestern Nova Scotia, near waters where a self-regulated Indigenous fishery is underway. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO - Robert Syliboy
Wolves roam the tundra near the Meadowbank Gold Mine in the Nunavut on Wednesday, March 25, 2009. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

Army apologizes after Nova Scotia residents receive fake letter warning of wolves

The letter said a pack of eight grey wolves had been released in northern Nova Scotia

Wolves roam the tundra near the Meadowbank Gold Mine in the Nunavut on Wednesday, March 25, 2009. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
RCMP investigators search for evidence at the location where Const. Heidi Stevenson was killed along the highway in Shubenacadie, N.S. on Thursday, April 23, 2020. Court documents released today describe the violence a Nova Scotia mass killer inflicted on his father years before his rampage, as well as the gunman’s growing paranoia before the outburst of shootings and killings.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan

Warrant reveals Nova Scotia mass killer’s violence against family, suspicious finances

Fifty-one-year man took 22 lives on April 18-19 before police killed him at a service station in Enfield, N.S.

RCMP investigators search for evidence at the location where Const. Heidi Stevenson was killed along the highway in Shubenacadie, N.S. on Thursday, April 23, 2020. Court documents released today describe the violence a Nova Scotia mass killer inflicted on his father years before his rampage, as well as the gunman’s growing paranoia before the outburst of shootings and killings.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan
Workers with the medical examiner’s office remove a body from a gas bar in Enfield, N.S. on April 19, 2020. Three Liberal MPs from Nova Scotia have come forward to challenge a decision by Ottawa and the province to conduct a joint review into the mass shootings in April that claimed 22 lives. Darren Fisher, the MP for Dartmouth-Cole Harbour, issued a statement today saying the gravity of the tragedy demands an independent public inquiry, which would have more authority than a joint review. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan

Ottawa announces full inquiry into Nova Scotia mass shooting

April shootings left 22 people dead

Workers with the medical examiner’s office remove a body from a gas bar in Enfield, N.S. on April 19, 2020. Three Liberal MPs from Nova Scotia have come forward to challenge a decision by Ottawa and the province to conduct a joint review into the mass shootings in April that claimed 22 lives. Darren Fisher, the MP for Dartmouth-Cole Harbour, issued a statement today saying the gravity of the tragedy demands an independent public inquiry, which would have more authority than a joint review. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan
Family and friends of victims attend a march demanding an inquiry into the April mass shooting in Nova Scotia that killed 22 people, in Bible Hill, N.S. on Wednesday, July 22, 2020. Women’s rights advocates in Atlantic Canada are calling on people across the country to join a brief general strike on Monday to demand a public inquiry into the deadly mass shootings that took place in Nova Scotia last April. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan

Activists will strike as calls continue for a public inquiry into Nova Scotia massacre

An online petition demanding a public inquiry had garnered over 10,000 signatures

Family and friends of victims attend a march demanding an inquiry into the April mass shooting in Nova Scotia that killed 22 people, in Bible Hill, N.S. on Wednesday, July 22, 2020. Women’s rights advocates in Atlantic Canada are calling on people across the country to join a brief general strike on Monday to demand a public inquiry into the deadly mass shootings that took place in Nova Scotia last April. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan
A worker with the medical examiner’s office removes a body from a gas bar in Enfield, N.S. on Sunday, April 19, 2020. Over three dozen Canadian senators are calling for an inquiry into the mass shootings that left 22 people dead in Nova Scotia in April. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan

Over three dozen senators demand ‘open, transparent’ inquiry into Nova Scotia shooting

The senators also stressed that any inquiry must use a feminist lens to be able to fully uncover what led to the massacre

A worker with the medical examiner’s office removes a body from a gas bar in Enfield, N.S. on Sunday, April 19, 2020. Over three dozen Canadian senators are calling for an inquiry into the mass shootings that left 22 people dead in Nova Scotia in April. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan
Workers with the medical examiner’s office remove a body from a gas bar in Enfield, N.S. on Sunday, April 19, 2020. A coalition of groups devoted to reducing or eradicating gender based violence across Canada is urging Ottawa and Nova Scotia to refrain from using a restorative justice approach for a promised inquiry into the mass killing that claimed the lives of 22 people in the Maritime province. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan

Groups ‘shocked’ by minister’s approach to inquiry into Nova Scotia mass murder

Several groups and individuals have come forward to call for a public inquiry that includes a feminist lens

Workers with the medical examiner’s office remove a body from a gas bar in Enfield, N.S. on Sunday, April 19, 2020. A coalition of groups devoted to reducing or eradicating gender based violence across Canada is urging Ottawa and Nova Scotia to refrain from using a restorative justice approach for a promised inquiry into the mass killing that claimed the lives of 22 people in the Maritime province. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan
A family pays their respects to victims of the mass killings at a checkpoint on Portapique Road in Portapique, N.S. on Friday, April 24, 2020. As pressure mounts on the federal and Nova Scotia governments to call an inquiry into one of the worst mass killings in Canadian history, the country’s leading scholar on inquiries says Ottawa and the province should do the right thing and work together on a joint inquest. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan

Joint federal-provincial inquiry into Nova Scotia mass shooting a good option: top expert

The April 18-19 rampage killed 22 people

A family pays their respects to victims of the mass killings at a checkpoint on Portapique Road in Portapique, N.S. on Friday, April 24, 2020. As pressure mounts on the federal and Nova Scotia governments to call an inquiry into one of the worst mass killings in Canadian history, the country’s leading scholar on inquiries says Ottawa and the province should do the right thing and work together on a joint inquest. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan
aA fire-destroyed property registered to Gabriel Wortman at 200 Portapique Beach Road is seen in Portapique, N.S. on Friday, May 8, 2020. A former neighbour of the gunman behind last month’s mass shooting in Nova Scotia says she reported his domestic violence and cache of firearms to the RCMP years ago and ended up leaving the community herself due to fears of his violence.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan

Nova Scotia RCMP use warrants to find killer’s cellphone, computer and other devices

Gunman killed 22 people in an April shooting rampage

aA fire-destroyed property registered to Gabriel Wortman at 200 Portapique Beach Road is seen in Portapique, N.S. on Friday, May 8, 2020. A former neighbour of the gunman behind last month’s mass shooting in Nova Scotia says she reported his domestic violence and cache of firearms to the RCMP years ago and ended up leaving the community herself due to fears of his violence.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan
The Atlantic Denture Clinic is guarded by police in Dartmouth, N.S. on Monday, April 20, 2020. The repeated threats and isolation a Nova Scotia mass shooter allegedly used against his spouse show why such cruelty should be a criminal offence in Canada, experts on domestic violence say. Acquaintances and former neighbours have described the 51-year-old killer as a clever and manipulative millionaire who would threaten harm to his spouse’s family, control her money or cut off her means of escape by removing the tires from her car or blocking the driveway. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan

How Nova Scotia mass shooting could bring law that makes abusers’ tactics a crime

A gunman killed 22 people in a multi-hour shooting spree

The Atlantic Denture Clinic is guarded by police in Dartmouth, N.S. on Monday, April 20, 2020. The repeated threats and isolation a Nova Scotia mass shooter allegedly used against his spouse show why such cruelty should be a criminal offence in Canada, experts on domestic violence say. Acquaintances and former neighbours have described the 51-year-old killer as a clever and manipulative millionaire who would threaten harm to his spouse’s family, control her money or cut off her means of escape by removing the tires from her car or blocking the driveway. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan
Canadian Forces Snowbirds planes are seen in the background as people place hearts and signs on the fence surrounding the airport in Kamloops, B.C., Sunday, May 17, 2020. One member of the Canadian Armed Forces has died and another is injured after a Snowbird plane crashed in a residential area of Kamloops, B.C., on Sunday while on a cross-country tour meant to impart hope during the COVID-19 pandemic. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

B.C. pilots organize memorial flight to honour Snowbirds after fatal crash

Flight will honour Capt. Jennifer Casey who was killed in the crash

Canadian Forces Snowbirds planes are seen in the background as people place hearts and signs on the fence surrounding the airport in Kamloops, B.C., Sunday, May 17, 2020. One member of the Canadian Armed Forces has died and another is injured after a Snowbird plane crashed in a residential area of Kamloops, B.C., on Sunday while on a cross-country tour meant to impart hope during the COVID-19 pandemic. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward
A shrine to Kristen Beaton and her unborn child is seen in Debert, N.S. on Thursday, May 14, 2020. It was one month ago that 22 people were killed after a man went on a murder rampage in Portapique and several other Nova Scotia communities. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan

Mass killing: Nova Scotia has been through hard times before, but not like this

Province has dealt with a mass shooting, military deaths

A shrine to Kristen Beaton and her unborn child is seen in Debert, N.S. on Thursday, May 14, 2020. It was one month ago that 22 people were killed after a man went on a murder rampage in Portapique and several other Nova Scotia communities. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan
An RCMP officer talks with a local resident before escorting them home at a roadblock in Portapique, N.S. on Wednesday, April 22, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan

Nova Scotia mass killer’s semi-automatic guns believed to have come from U.S.

The Mounties are still declining to reveal the brand or the calibre of the weapons

An RCMP officer talks with a local resident before escorting them home at a roadblock in Portapique, N.S. on Wednesday, April 22, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan
Members of B.C. law enforcement take part in a motorcade to honour fallen RCMP Const. Heidi Stevenson at the RCMP headquarters in Surrey, B.C. Thursday, April 30, 2020. Const. Stevenson was shot and killed in Nova Scotia on April 19th. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

RCMP to draft national policy for emergency alerts after Nova Scotia shootings

Police faced scrutiny for not utilizing emergency alerts during shooting that killed 22

Members of B.C. law enforcement take part in a motorcade to honour fallen RCMP Const. Heidi Stevenson at the RCMP headquarters in Surrey, B.C. Thursday, April 30, 2020. Const. Stevenson was shot and killed in Nova Scotia on April 19th. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward