Yesterday, the tight-knit community of Tumbler Ridge – a small community found in the northeast corner of BC – experienced a heartbreaking tragedy that will leave a lasting mark on the Peace region and indeed the country as a whole. What began as an ordinary afternoon at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School turned into one of the most devastating days in Canadian history.
Authorities have confirmed that nine people died, and many others were injured, some seriously.
This loss is especially profound in a community of fewer than 3,000 people – a place where most residents know one another, where schools and churches are community hubs, and where quiet days are the norm. Leaders and residents have spoken of shock, sorrow, and deep grief as they try to understand and process what has happened.
As details continue to emerge, many are focusing on supporting families, students, teachers, and first responders who were directly affected by the event. Mental health resources and community supports are being organized to help people cope with the trauma of such an unthinkable day.
While shootings such as this one are rare in Canada, they’re not unheard of. Of course, Canada’s worst shooting occurred in 1989 – the École Polytechnique massacre in Montreal – where 14 women and one college employee were killed and 13 others injured. That shooting led to major policy changes in Canada and still shapes our policy debate surrounding gun control and gender-based, hate-motivated violence. Will this shooting force our leaders to reassess the anger that permeates our political and online conversations, our approach to addiction and mental health, or how we keep our schools and communities safe from violence?
At a time when our nation’s sovereingty is under threat and some of our population is deeply divided, the shooting in Tumbler Ridge is a stark reminder of the perils of overlooking the issues that so often fail to make news: isolation, fear, anger, despair, and – of course – mental health struggles. Though no doubt we will come together as a country to help a clossknit community heal, we all owe it to ourselves to ask how a tragedy such as this one could possibly have happened.
No matter what is determined as the ultimate reason for the attack, we must be honest about what we have done as a society to fan the flames of hatred and division, and what we each can do moving forward to ensure that a Tumbler Ridge – and an École Polytechnique before it – never happen again.
–> Chapter 10 on Nature Labs includes resources for mental health and resiliency.