An Update from the Commissioners – July 14, 2022

What Happened at Proceedings this Week

This week, the Commission shared three Foundational Documents that explored violence within the perpetrator’s family, the perpetrator’s violence towards others and his violence towards his common-law spouse, Lisa Banfield. This type of information helps us to identify red flags that may have been missed and focus on possible pathways for prevention, intervention, and the lessons to be learned. This is critical as we work to make recommendations to help make our communities safer.

This week, we heard from more witnesses, including the authors of two Commissioned Reports who explained the connections between mass shooting events and masculinity, as well the links between gender-based violence and mass casualty attacks. We also heard from an expert and community-based researcher in the areas of family violence and gender-based violence in the context of rural communities in Atlantic Canada, and a former neighbour of the perpetrator who provided information about her knowledge and experience of the perpetrator’s violent behavior. On Friday, we will hear from Lisa Banfield, the perpetrator’s common-law spouse.

Upcoming

Next week, as we are directed to do in our mandate the Commission will continue to examine issues related to the mass casualty, including contributing and contextual factors such as gender-based and intimate partner violence. Through a number of roundtable discussions, we will hear from people with knowledge and expertise on relevant issues which will assist us to bring forward meaningful recommendations. The Commission will also be presenting a Foundational Document which examines the perpetrator’s financial misdealings. This document addresses issues that include the perpetrator’s banking activity, corporate dealings, real estate acquisitions, and improper billing practices.

This presentation will mark the release of 30 Foundational Documents which bring together information gathered to date about the mass casualty. All 30 Foundational Documents will be available on our website. Although this is the Commission’s final presentation of a Foundational Document, our investigation is ongoing and we will continue to share information in proceedings and on our website.

At the end of the week, Participants will present submissions to the Commission.

Proceedings Schedule: Week of July 18

Monday, July 18

• Roundtable: Mass Casualties, IPV, GBV and Family Violence: Exploring the Connections
  • Dr. Wendy Cukier: Professor in Ted Rogers School of Management at Toronto Metropolitan University
  • Dr. Amanda Dale: Activist, legal scholar, non-profit sector consultant, and former Executive Director of the Barbra Schlifer Clinic
  • Dr. Myrna Dawson: Professor of Sociology and Research Leadership Chair, College of Social and Applied Human Sciences, University of Guelph
  • Dr. JaneMaree Maher: Professor in the Centre for Women’s Studies and Gender Research, Sociology, and Associate Dean Graduate Research in the Faculty of Arts at Monash University
  • Dr. Alison Marganski: Associate Professor and Director of Criminology at Le Moyne College in Syracuse, New York, USA
  • Dr. Jude McCulloch: Criminologist and experienced legal practitioner; Inaugural Director of the Monash Gender and Family Violence Prevention Centre
  • Dr. Barbara Perry: Professor in the Faculty of Social Science and Humanities at Ontario Tech University, and the Director of the Centre on Hate, Bias and Extremism

Tuesday, July 19

• Presentation of Foundational Document: Perpetrator’s Financial Misdealings
• Witness: Cst Troy Maxwell to explain his role and to address factual gaps relating to his response to a complaint from Ms. Brenda Forbes made to the RCMP on July 6, 2013

Wednesday, July 20

• Roundtable: IPV, GBV and Family Violence: Police and institutional understanding and responses to intimate partner violence and family violence
  • Dr. Carmen Gill: Professor, University of New Brunswick
  • Dr. Lori Chambers: Professor, Lakehead University
  • Dr. Patrina Duhaney: Assistant Professor, University of Calgary
  • Dr. Nancy Ross: Assistant Professor, Dalhousie University
  • Ms. Lorraine Whitman: President, Native Women Association of Canada
  • Professor Jennifer Koshan: Faculty of Law, University of Calgary
• Roundtable: Police and institutional understanding and responses to sexual violence and other forms of gender-based violence
  • Ms. Emilie Coyle: Executive Director, Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies
  • Ms. Deepa Mattoo: Executive Director, Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic
  • Dr. Pamela Palmater: Associate Professor, Toronto Metropolitan University
  • Professor Isabel Grant: Peter A. Allard School of Law, University of British Columbia
  • Ms. René Boudreau: African Nova Scotian Community Engagement Coordinator, Association of Black Social Workers
  • Ms. Katrina Jarvis: Sexual Violence & Human Trafficking Prevention Coordinator, Association of Black Social Workers

Thursday, July 21

• Roundtable: IPV, GBV and Family Violence: Personal and Community Responses
  • Dr. Deborah Doherty: Executive Director (Ret.), Public Legal Education and Information Service of New Brunswick
  • Ms. Emma Halpern: Executive Director, Elizabeth Fry Society of Mainland NS
  • Professor Janet Mosher: Osgoode Hall Law School, York University
  • Dr. Rachel Zellars: Associate Professor, Saint Mary's University
  • Ms. Pamela Cross: Legal Director, Luke's Place Support and Resource Centre

Friday, July 22

• Witness Panel: Kristy Martire and Tess Neal to discuss their Commissioned Report Rigorous Forensic Psychological Assessment Practices (Part I and II)
• Participant Submissions

Commissioner’s July 14, 2022 Decision

We Commissioners have issued a decision in response to a motion from Participant counsel received on July 11, 2022.

We encourage everyone to read the full decision, which is available on our website.

Investigations Supplementary Reports

Investigations Supplementary Reports are completed by the Commission’s Investigations team to support the overall understanding of the facts of what happened, and how and why it happened, and are regularly referenced as source material in the Foundational Documents. Each report contains the results of further investigation into specific questions or events, such as rejected radio transmissions or the pathways and landscape of the Portapique community. There are more than 15 Supplementary Reports on the website now and more may be completed and posted to the website as a result of the ongoing proceedings. The website has been updated to include a section of these reports and represent our growing understanding of what happened, how and why, as we continue to make progress towards developing our recommendations.

Mental Health Supports 24/7

We would like to express our gratitude to everyone engaging with the Commission’s work. Our work will continue throughout the summer, and we will once again be discussing difficult topics next week. We want to remind the public that should you or your loved ones need them, supports are available both on-site at the proceedings and through the Commission’s website. This was a difficult week for many, but it was necessary to gather information, hear from witnesses and experts, in order to inform our recommendations to help make Canadian communities safer.

Sincerely,

The Mass Casualty Commission

Hon. J. Michael MacDonald, Chair

Leanne J. Fitch (Ret. Police Chief, M.O.M.)

Dr. Kim Stanton