On Sunday, the residents of Nova Scotia held a marathon, to honor the victims of a mass killing that happened in 2020.
The race was held alongside a special occasion and a moment of silence.
On this specific date, April the 18th, last year, an individual masquerading as a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, set several homes on fire.
The ordeal resulted in the death of neighbors, strangers and acquaintances alike. Within a period of 13 hours, 22 people had lost their lives.
These included a 17-year-old girl, a veteran of the RCMP who had served in the force for 23 years and a pregnant care assistant.
The destruction began in the Portapique community, which is situated 95 km to the north of Halifax.
It went on until the criminal was finally apprehended at a gas station in Enfield. The ordeal has remained in the minds of Nova Scotia residents, who still have so many unanswered questions regarding the tragedy.
But on this first-year anniversary, the citizens gathered together, some physically and others virtually, to commemorate those who lost their lives.
The Nova Scotia Remembers Legacy Society is the entity that planned the memorial marathon, which began in Portapique on Sunday at 7 a.m.
At least 30 individuals participated in the race. Among the runners was Arany, who wore a cardigan containing the names of the victims. She said participating in the marathon was her way of remembering those who passed away.
A ceremony was also held to raise money, which will be used to create a more permanent structure for the commemoration of the victims.
In addition to the race, the Nova Scotia Remembers Legacy Society had also planned a private event for the families of those who lost their lives in the mass killing.
This ceremony, which was held at First United Church in Truro, N.S on Sunday afternoon, saw special guests attend.
Among them was Premier Iain Rankin who reiterated that the community had been brought closer by the ordeal. Justin Trudeau, the Prime Minister, also sent his condolences to the aggrieved families.
When it comes to accountability, the Nova Scotia RCMP acknowledged that a lot of questions have remained unanswered since the ordeal happened. When issuing this statement, the RCMP stated that they were part of the Mass Casualty Commission, which was investigating the matter.
A public inquiry is also being held to probe into related problems. These include issues like how efficiently police respond, measures are taken to inform victims, their families, and the public as well as investigating whether the gunman shared any kind of relationship with the RCMP.
