The following was issued by the Premier’s office on April 14.
Statement by Premier Tim Houston:
Mr. Speaker, today we mark a solemn occasion as we remember our fellow Nova Scotians who lost their lives on April 18 and 19, 2020.
Together we remember Tom Bagley, Kristen Beaton and her unborn child, Greg Blair, Jamie Blair, Joy Bond, Peter Bond, Lillian Campbell, Corrie Ellison, Gina Goulet, Alanna Jenkins, Sean McLeod, Dawn Gulenchyn, Frank Gulenchyn, Lisa McCully, Heather O’Brien, Jolene Oliver, Aaron Tuck, Emily Tuck, Heidi Stevenson, Joanne Thomas, John Zahl, and Joey Webber.
Two years after this unspeakable tragedy, the heartbreak and sorrow remain.
We cannot imagine the pain and suffering the victims’ families have endured over the last two years. We stand with you today and on all days.
April 18 and 19 forever changed us as Nova Scotians.
In remembrance of the lives lost and in honour of the strength and courage of the survivors, flags throughout the province will be lowered from sunrise on Monday, April 18, until sundown on Tuesday, April 19.
We also ask all Nova Scotians to pause at noon on both days and join together to observe a moment of silence.
It is important that we stand together this year and in all future years. This fall, we also plan to introduce legislation to establish April 18 and 19 as Provincial Days of Remembrance. Before introducing that legislation, we will consult with the families through the Department of Justice to ensure we are remembering their loved ones in the ways they think they should be remembered.
As we are doing this year, the Days of Remembrance will allow us to collectively remember the lives lost and reflect on how those days also brought us together as a community, as a province, and as a nation. They united us and showed our collective strength.
That resilience is most evident in family members left behind and in the individuals and groups that have been supporting them – schools, community groups and many other organizations have been there to help.
Together we remain Nova Scotia strong.
Mr. Speaker, following comments from the members opposite, I ask that all members of the Legislature join together in a minute of silence to honour those we lost two years ago. We will always remember them, hold them in our thoughts and in our hearts.
