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MCC Day 39 – Support Services, Family Liaison Officer, and Political Pressure From Feds
MCC Day 38 - Next of Kin Notifications, Witness and Big Stop Video Decisions, and Cst. Dorrrington
Latest Blogs
MCC Day 36 – Paramedics and 911 Call-takers’ Experiences
The Mass Casualty Commission is sitting for two days this week, during which there will be a series of “Small Group” sessions, which we are assured is different than a “Roundtable” or “Witness Panel”, despite their similar appearance. The speakers were not sworn witnesses, and their purpose was not to add to the factual narrative, but rather to convey their experiences [...]
MCC Day 35 – Helicopters, Halifax Police, Radios, and No Update on Banfield
There were foundational documents presented today dealing with the (ultimately futile) helicopter efforts, assistance from the Halifax Police, and the 911 and radio systems in NS. These presentations were followed by a witness panel on the radio system in NS, and by submissions from the lawyers for the participants summarizing the key points in the evidence we heard this week and [...]
MCC Day 34 – More RCMP Public Communications Witnesses
There were two witnesses today appearing before the Mass Casualty Commission, one civilian member, and one staff sergeant, each of whom had a role in public communications during the events of the mass casualty. In the morning Director of Strategic Communications, Lia Scanlan testified. In the afternoon, Staff Sergeant Addie MacCallum gave his account of the events of April 18-19, 2020. [...]
MCC Day 33 – Attempts to Explain RCMP-Issued Tweets and Facebook Posts During Mass Casualty
One of the main complaints in the immediate aftermath of the April 18-19, 2020 mass casualty events was the use by the RCMP of social media posts to warn the public, rather than issuing an emergency alert to citizens’ cell phones, and then the low degree of accuracy of the content of those posts. Today, after a brief presentation by Commission [...]
MCC Day 32 – Truro Police Chief Dave MacNeil Testifies
The focus of the MCC was on the Town of Truro today, with a Foundational Document and witness discussing the interaction between the RCMP and Truro Police as Gabriel Wortman made his way towards, and ultimately through, the Town of Truro. We have heard from Chief Dave MacNeil before today, as he has been interviewed about the Truro Police role in [...]
What The MCC Can Learn From Commissioner Stanton’s Inquiries Book
Just before being appointed as one of the three Commissioners of the NS Mass Casualty Commission, Toronto-based lawyer, Kim Stanton finished writing a book on Inquiries, called Reconciling Truths. There are several themes and lessons the MCC may draw from this work, which might help it fulfill its mandate, and increase the level of public trust in the Commission. The book [...]