Nova Scotia’s Commitment to Action - Advancing work on the recommendations in the Mass Casualty Commission Final Report
Nova Scotia commits to working collaboratively with government, policing and community partners to achieve the systemic, operational and legislative changes outlined in Turning the Tide Together: Final Report of the Mass Casualty Commission (MCC).
The report was released in March 2023. Since then, the Government of Nova Scotia has focused on 4 main areas:
- community safety and well-being, including Victim Services for those impacted
- grief, bereavement and wellness resources, including new and enhanced supports for local communities
- policing operations, including launching a comprehensive review of the policing structure in Nova Scotia
- gender-based violence prevention, including a renewed awareness campaign
Community engagement and collaboration play an important role in Nova Scotia’s work to advance recommendations in the MCC report. We work closely with local partners and residents to ensure the community’s interests are represented -- from planning and development to implementation and evaluation. The lived experience of families and community members -- and their ongoing feedback -- will continue to inform our actions and approach.
Strategic solutions to Implementation
Community safety and well-being
Public health
Policing reform
Gender-based violence and Intimate partner violence
Actions
Nova Scotia is accountable for many of the recommendations in the Final Report. Here are some highlights of the actions underway.
| Action | Recommendation | Theme |
|---|---|---|
| Committed $9 million over two years as part of an $18 million joint federal-provincial funding commitment | C.13 | Community safety Public health |
| Launched a new dedicated website for community supports | C.13 | Community safety Public health |
| Added new positions in mental health and addictions in front-line and system support roles, including outreach, wellness navigation, health promotion, public engagement and grief and bereavement | C.13 | Community safety Public health |
| Increased funding to eight community health boards to support community wellness initiatives, from suicide prevention training and grief workshops to rural internet access programs to community events | C.13 | Community safety Public health |
| Launched a new community transportation pilot – a direct response to community engagement in spring 2023 | C.13 | Community safety Public health |
| Worked with Sipekne’katik Health Centre to provide transportation to and from wellness appointments | C.13 | Community safety Public health |
| Added a new mental health role to mobile primary care clinic teams, which visit communities in Colchester, Cumberland and Hants counties three days a week | C.13 | Community safety Public health |
| Provided trauma-informed care and suicide intervention skills training for community groups and service providers | C.13 | Community safety Public health |
| Hosted a series of community conversations across the northern zone with local residents, community organizations, health system partners and others to understand the mental health and addictions needs in the community | C.13 | Community safety Public health
|
| Launched a new mental health and addictions support program for volunteer firefighters and ground search and rescue volunteers | C.13 | Community safety Public health |
| Hosted a compassionate grief education session for service providers, volunteers and community-based organizations | C.13 | Community safety Public Health |
| Provided mental health crisis intervention training to police in the northern zone | C.13 | Community safety Public health |
| Hosted a compassionate grief education session | C.13 | Public health |
| Added mental health and addictions outreach and clinical services in Millbrook First Nation | C.13 | Community safety Public health |
| Completed a needs and impact assessment for 2023 and a framework to conduct future assessments in 2025 and 2027 | C.13 | Community safety Public health |
| Partnered with Nova Scotia Hospice Palliative Care Association (NSHPCA) to work with government, communities and Nova Scotia Health to design and coordinate the delivery of grief, bereavement and emotional wellness services - starting in Northern Zone and expanding across the province | C.13 | Community safety Public health |
| Kids in the Know is the Canadian Centre for Child Protection’s national safety education program. It engages students interactively to build skills that increase their personal safety and reduce their risk of victimization online and offline. All Nova Scotia teachers now have access to the program and its resources to support their students. | C.17b | Community safety Gender-based and intimate partner violence |
| GuysWork is a school-based program where young men examine how traditional masculinity norms can impact their health, and the health of their peers. The program is now available in over 40 schools across Nova Scotia, with further expansions planned in 2024/25. | C.17b | Community safety Gender-based and intimate partner violence |
| Launching a pilot bystander intervention training program for Grades 9 and 10 in April 2024. | C.17b | Community safety Gender-based and intimate partner violence |
| Signed an agreement with the federal government that will result in $18.3 million over four years to help end gender-based violence. Funding to Help End Gender-Based Violence | Government of Nova Scotia News Releases | V.13 | Community safety Gender-based and intimate partner violence |
16 community-based organizations receive $7.1 million in funding for projects that address gender-based violence Funding for Community Projects Working to End Gender-Based Violence | Government of Nova Scotia News Releases |
Aligned to V9, V.13 V.15, V16 Also supports C.1 and C.16 |
Community safety Gender-based and intimate partner violence |
| Established the Progress Monitoring Committee to monitor and report on the implementation of the recommendations from the final report of the Mass Casualty Commission Terms of reference | I.1b | |
| Appointed former justice Linda Oland as founding chair of the Progress Monitoring Committee for a one-year term. | I.1b | |
| Appointed 16 members to the Progress Monitoring Committee, which includes representatives from the provincial and federal governments, RCMP, RCMP Management Advisory Board, community members, and family members | I.1d | |
| All staff at the RCMP Operational Communications Centre and at other Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPS) have access to 911 call recordings at their desk and are trained in its use and how to play back calls. Staff receive a training refresh every two years or after extended leave periods. | P.10 | Policing reform |
| Launched province-wide policing review and issued a request for proposals for an external consultant to lead the work | P.67 | Policing reform |
| Deloitte named as the consultant to lead province-wide policing review. New co-chair named and 14 engagement advisory committee members | P.67 | Policing reform |
| Committed to funding tuition and fees for 11 police recruits from diverse backgrounds, including Indigenous, African-Nova Scotian and female police cadets to attend Atlantic Police Academy in 2023/2024. | P.74 | Policing reform |
| The Domestic Violence Death Review Committee, established in June 2023 and chaired by the Chief Medical Examiner, conducts timely, in-depth review of domestic violence deaths in the province. The committee’s review includes analyzing trends and making recommendations to the provincial government, which helps inform Nova Scotia’s work to implement MCC recommendations | Aligned to V13 | Policing reform Gender-based and intimate partner violence
Community safety |
The Nova Scotia Serious Incident Response Team (SiRT) has developed a template to support the exchange of written information between two agencies engaged in similar criminal investigations. SiRT investigates deaths, serious injury, sexual assault, intimate partner violence or any matter of public interest that may have arisen from the actions of a police officer. |
P.32.b | Policing reform |
| SiRT has changed their procedures to ensure reports in which criminal charges are not laid against a police officer are drafted with as much detail as possible. Reports will be transparent which will allow the public to understand and evaluate the director’s reasoning and conclusions. | P.35.b | Policing reform |
Almost 2,000 more new trunked mobile radios will be provided to volunteer emergency responders by the fall of 2024, improving their ability to communicate as they help Nova Scotians in times of need. |
P. 16 (b) | Policing reform Community safety
|
Introduced the Regulated Health Professionals Act to govern self-regulated healthcare professions; it supports smaller regulatory bodies to share resources, improve oversight and update mandates to proactively address misconduct. |
C.19 | Community safety Public health
|
Stay up to date
The Government of Nova Scotia is committed to action, progress and change. This is a complex and significant undertaking involving many partners. Stay up to date as government makes announcements on progress to address the recommendations of the Mass Casualty Commission Final Report to make our communities safer and stronger.
With the federal government, we have established the Progress Monitoring Committee, which brings together many diverse voices to help the public stay updated on the progress of the initiatives that Nova Scotia and Canada are taking in response to the report.
Government reports to Progress Monitoring Committee
The Government of Nova Scotia is a participating member of the Progress Monitoring Committee. For all information related to the PMC, please visit https://novascotia.ca/progress-monitoring-committee/
Resources
- Mass Casualty Commission Final Report
- Progress Monitoring Committee
- RCMP response to the Mass Casualty Commission
News releases
Latest news releases and announcements: