'Support through the miles': Nova Scotians across the North pay tribute to mass shooting victims

Nova Scotians living across Canada's North are showing solidarity with their home province, after a mass shooting took place there over the weekend.

A gunman went on a 12-hour rampage that began late Saturday in the province killing at least 22 people, in one of the worst mass killings in Canadian history. 

By Sunday night, people across the country and the world were showing their support by lighting candles, keeping their porch lights on and flying flags at half-mast.

Nova Scotia flag flies 3,000 km away

By Monday morning, a Nova Scotia flag was flying over 3,000 kilometres away from the province in Gjoa Haven, Nunavut.

Patti Boudreau is originally from Antigonish, N.S., but moved to Nunavut in August, where she now lives with her husband.

"For me, you know, putting out that flag … was just my way of saying ... Nova Scotia we're sending our prayers and our support through the miles."

Boudreau said being so far away from home is isolating, but her heart is with all of the people in the province who won't be able to grieve together in person due to COVID-19.

"I think that's the most tragic part of this, is that the pandemic is going to stop people from gathering together and, you know, helping people through it," Boudreau said.

At the same time, she said people are finding ways to be there for one another. People in Gjoa Haven have been incredibly supportive and she has seen people coming together on social media from across the world. 

'Heart, thoughts and prayer'

In Whitehorse Sunday night, some people left their porch lights on. Outside of the RCMP detachment, a sign was put up thanking officers for their service and flowers were left in memory of Const. Heidi Stevenson who was killed in the shooting.

Yukon's premier showed his solidarity with Nova Scotia through a statement on Monday. Premier Sandy Silver was born and raised in the province.

"I know just how strong your communities are. My heart, thoughts and prayer are with you," the statement said.

In Yellowknife, Michelle Shears hung a tartan from her front door to show she was thinking about people back home. She is from the small village of Kingston, N.S., but has lived in the N.W.T. for about four years.

On Sunday night, she posted a photo of the tartan on a Nova Scotia 'kitchen party' Facebook group that was originally created to keep people connected during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Support through online kitchen party

People from all over the world have been using the group to commemorate the victims of the mass shooting and show their support for the province.

To Shears, having a virtual gathering is more important than ever.

"Kitchen parties happen in times of tragedy and in times of joy and times of celebration. So this is just another extension of the kitchen party and we'll just take away that party aspect and add gathering to it," she said.

Jim Taylor knows all too well about the importance of a good kitchen party. He has been hosting an East Coast kitchen party night at the Black Knight Pub in Yellowknife every Saturday for 16 years, though it has been put on pause during the pandemic.

"More often than not the place is packed with people from the East Coast of this grand country so there's a lot of us ... the saying is you can't throw a brick down the road without hitting a Newfoundlander."

Taylor also hosts a weekly radio show on Cabin Radio, where he interviews different people who were born and raised in the Maritimes and are now living in the North, just like him.

Taylor is from Middleton, N.S. For him, the tragedy hits particularly close to home. His father was born just outside of the small community of Portapique, N.S., where the rampage began. He used to vacation in the area as a child.

"I'm kind of just having trouble like everybody, not just Nova Scotians, but everyone in Canada, who are feeling just so sad about this whole thing," he said.

At a time when many Nova Scotians across the North feel far away from home, there is one thing many agree on. When the time comes to gather again, it will be unforgettable.

"All we can do right now is … love one another as best we can and support one another and, you know, the day will come where we will have one big kitchen party again," Boudreau said.