Nova Scotia memorial a sensitive project
Volunteers say trauma of shootings still fresh for families, communities
PORTAPIQUE, N.S. — Creating a memorial for those killed in Nova Scotia’s mass shooting is a delicate task at a time when families continue to grieve and communities are reluctant to revisit the horror, say volunteers working on the project.
“We’re just getting started really. It’s quite a process,” Cees van den Hoek, a board member of the Nova Scotia Remembers Legacy Society, said in an interview Thursday.
The local antique dealer was standing in front of a former church he owns in Portapique, where the first impromptu arrangements of flowers, paper hearts and laminated photos were placed after the deaths last April 18-19.
The tributes were removed in September, with some being passed on to families.
Van den Hoek was taking a moment from helping organize a run that will start nearby, one year to the day after the shootings began — an initial step toward raising money for a permanent site.
“It would be a nice, quiet and secluded place, clean and well kept with some gardens, nicely landscaped and with little corners where you can be by yourself,” he said.
He first became involved immediately after the mass shooting as part of a group of local citizens who created a tribute video, and that group gradually formed into the non-profit legacy society.
This week, as the first anniversary of the 13-hour rampage by a gunman disguised as an RCMP officer approaches, the remembrances are less formal.
Beginning Sunday, the society has invited people to take a quiet walk through a wooded trail at Victoria Park in Truro to pay tribute to the 22 people killed.
On the morning of April 18, a closed service for families is planned in Truro, with broadcasters livestreaming the event.
Jenny Kierstead, the sister of Lisa McCully — a neighbour of the gunman who was among the first killed in Portapique — said in a recent interview she hopes a formal memorial site will provide some solace in the years to come.
The 48-year-old Halifax resident, who is the chairwoman of the society’s anniversary committee, said after a period of numbness and denial passed, the loss has been hitting harder in recent weeks. “It’s like a veil has been lifted and reality revealed, and I’d say the last few months have been the hardest because of that,” she said.
Van den Hoek said site selection will have to be approached with caution and include consultation carried out by third parties who have experience dealing with grief.
“It’s so emotional and so many people are in so many stages of grief. This will probably take a few years,” he said.