Today, the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs, and the Honourable Brad Johns, Nova Scotia Attorney General and Minister of Justice, appointed 16 members to the Progress Monitoring Committee (PMC).
Former Justice Linda Oland, Founding Chair of the PMC, led the membership proposal process. Since her appointment on May 31, 2023, Ms. Oland has spoken to families, communities, municipal governments, policing associations, gender-based violence advocacy and support sectors, Indigenous community organizations, African Canadian community organizations, and others mentioned in the Mass Casualty Commission's (MCC) recommendations and findings. In accordance with the MCC's recommendation regarding the diversity of representation, Ms. Oland sought to bring together regional and national perspectives.
Joining the Committee are:
- Dan Jenkins, family member; (Term: September 1, 2023-August 31, 2024);
- Crystal Mendiuk, family member; (Term: September 1, 2023-August 31, 2024);
- Charlene Bagley, family member; (Term: September 1, 2024-August 31, 2025);
- Scott McLeod, family member; (Term: September 1, 2024-August 31, 2025);
- Jennifer Zahi Bruland, family member; (Term: September 1, 2024-August 31, 2025);
- David Burkholder, family member; (Term: September 1, 2025-August 31, 2026);
- Tammy Oliver-McCurdie, family member; (Term: September 1, 2025-August 31, 2026);
- Mayor Christine Blair, Colchester County (municipal representative from the County of Colchester, Cumberland or Hants);
- Alison Whelan, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Reform, Accountability and Culture, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) (senior representative from the RCMP);
- Simon Coakeley, Vice-Chairperson and Member of the Management Advisory Board for the RCMP (member of the RCMP Management Advisory Board);
- Talal Dakalbab, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Crime Prevention Branch, Public Safety Canada (senior representative from Public Safety Canada);
- Chief Mark Kane, Chief of Police, Annapolis Royal Police Service (representative from a local, regional, or national policing association);
- Jennifer Glennie, Associate Deputy Minister, Executive Council Office, Government of Nova Scotia (a senior representative from the Government of Nova Scotia);
- Kristina Fifield, Provincial Community Coordinator & Trauma Therapist, Community Based Sexualized Violence Trauma Therapy Program, Avalon Sexual Assault Centre, Halifax (a representative from the gender-based violence advocacy and support sectors, preferably from Nova Scotia);
- Tuma Young, KC (a representative of Indigenous community organizations); and
- Vanessa Fells (a representative of African Canadian community organizations).
The formation of the PMC responds to the Commission's final report, which called on the two governments to establish an independent body to monitor the progress of advancing and responding to the Commission's key findings.
The PMC will soon hold its first meeting in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and begin its important work, which includes developing a plan to monitor and report on the initiatives that Canada and Nova Scotia are undertaking in response to the MCC report.
The governments of Canada and Nova Scotia will continue to advance the recommendations set out in the MCC's Final Report to ensure a similar tragedy never happens again.
