What Happened - Timeline

The Commission constructed this timeline of what happened using the information set out in its Foundational Documents, which summarized the information available to the Commission at the time they were shared with the public, along with their source materials and addenda and errata. As the Commission’s independent investigation continued, additional information may have come to light that augmented or altered the Commission’s understanding of the facts.

The Final Report sets out the Commission’s final best answer to the question of “what happened.” If there is information set out in the Final Report that differs in any way from the What Happened Timeline, the Final Report governs.

Interactive Timeline

Supporting Information

• Note on timing for Portapique, April 18-19, 2020: The perpetrator’s exact movements throughout Portapique and the precise sequence of events on the evening of April 18, 2020, are unknown. The available information provides clarity to some portions of the perpetrator’s location and actions; however, there are significant portions of time where there is little or no information available to ascertain the perpetrator’s exact movements. For a more detailed breakdown of timing, witness accounts and scene locations, please refer to the Portapique, April 18-19, 2020 Foundational Document.
• The timeline of events for Portapique, April 18-19, 2020, is extended to capture the full canvassing of all residential addresses in Portapique, including those of Cobequid Court. This information is captured in the Foundational Document titled, “Information Seeking and Next of Kin Notifications.” Due to the significance of this, the timeline was extended to include these events. We recognize that other work continued at this time that is not captured within the timeline.
• In situations where an RCMP member is working in an acting capacity at a rank higher than their usual rank, they are referred to as 'Acting'. In our final report, we refer to them accordingly. In this timeline, their standing rank is used. For this reason, there may be differences in titles between The Final Report and the content of the timeline (e.g. Acting Cpl. Beselt vs. Cst. Beselt).
• Each row on the timeline is based on a Foundational Document including relevant information from their source materials, addendum (additions made after publishing) and/or erratum (errors corrected after publishing). Not all Foundational Documents are included in the timeline.
• Times are representative of the Commission’s best understanding of the timeline of events, based on the documents and information provided to the Commission, including 911 calls, radio transmissions and GPS data. In some cases, times were estimated based on the best available information, including events immediately before or after. Estimated times are indicated on the timeline with striped boxes.
• Minors (people under the age of 18) are not named in the Commission’s documents or the timeline. Names will be replaced with two letters e.g. AA, AB, etc. These are not initials and are assigned as individuals appeared in documents.
• Visit the Foundational Documents page for a complete list of the Foundational Documents, their addendum and/or erratum, their corresponding source materials and any additional exhibits tabled during public proceedings.