Group therapy, resilience centers and memorials should be part of a strategy to support communities affected by the Portapique killings, according to a report released Friday by the Mass Casualty Commission.
Jaclyn Schildkrault’s report of State University of New York at Oswego offers solutions to help victims ’loved ones and their communities.
Documents were released as some families boycotted the hearings and said they had no confidence in the questioning process.
A collective mourning
Each individual has their own needs and for some it will take years to be ready to deal with trauma.
However, the report suggests that support groups, community support centers and monument projects can help.
Some resources in the Colchester and Truro area already exist and offer services to the families of the victims, but as indicated Alana Hirtle of the Rotary Club of Truro, other aid groups can only help.
” In our society, we are not faced with loneliness. Let’s just close our lips and move on with our lives, when it’s a lot more to do and more complicated. “
Si Ms. Hirtle is the chairman of a committee working on building a new park and community center in Portapique.
severe trauma
Survivors and members of communities affected by mass poaching in the United States since 2017 were interviewed by the report’s authors.
The loss of a loved one due to homicide the most intense traumatic experience a person can experience. These events are violent, random and rare, thus contributing to trauma.
According to the authors, support groups can play a role in helping survivors. In the United States, a large group is The Rebel Projectcreated by survivors of the Columbine shootings after being shot in a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado 13 years later.
The group has 1400 members, many of whom are from Canada. It aims to create a sense of community wherever individuals are. But according to the report, face-to-face contact is also important.
It is suggested that stakeholders can support people who want to participate in events, conferences or other gatherings.
Stability Centers
Stability centers have grown from several shots, including Aurora, Colorado in 2013, Orlando, Florida in 2016, Las Vegas, Nevada in 2017, Parkland, Florida in 2018, and El Paso, Texas in 2019.
These centers are dedicated to the well-being of communities and offer therapy as well as wellness services, such as yoga classes, meditation, group sessions and trauma education.
According to Alana Hirtle, Portapique’s future community center could have such a vocation.
Another site near MacElmons Pond Provincial Park could also be used according to some local stakeholders.
Monuments, but involving families
Giving families and survivors a role in creating memorial facilities is important according to the report.
It offers them a creative way to deal with their grief and ensure that the memory of their loved ones is respected.
In Nova Scotia, a $ 90,000 fund was recently transferred to the Colchester County Municipality.
Mayor Christine Blair said discussions with the mayors of Halifax and other municipalities in the area are underway to determine where the monuments will be placed.
Consultations are also planned with families.
The Mass Casualty Commission will resume in Truro on Monday, as one of the RCMP officers responsible for the shooting will nearly testify at a pre-recorded hearing to be made public next week. The second police officer will testify the same way on Tuesday and the process will be closed to the public.
Public hearings will resume on Wednesday.
With information from haley ryan ng CBC
Source: Radio-Canada
