But for the 70-year-old naval veteran and former firefighter, there would be no gathering, and like other families in Nova Scotia and across the continent, Charlene Bagley was about to lose a person whom she loved and leaned on for guidance.
Bagley died that morning from gunshot wounds near a neighbour s burning home, one of 22 men and women and an unborn child who were killed in a mass shooting that began late the night before and continued over 13 hours. The neighbours, Alanna Jenkins and Sean McLeod, were also among those killed by the gunman. The horror ended when the killer was shot dead outside a gas station in Enfield, N.S.
Families of N.S. mass shooting victims left with vivid memories, searing grief
Poll
Yes
Charlene Bagley holds a photo of her late father, Tom Bagley, in Halifax on Tuesday, March 16, 2021. Tom Bagley was one of 22 victims in the rural Nova Scotia murder rampage of April 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan
HALIFAX – Tom Bagley’s birthday was just two days away on April 19, 2020, when his daughter Charlene called his cottage in West Wentworth, N.S., and small talk ensued about the possibility of a socially distanced party in her driveway.
Like other final conversations and images, what at the time was a routine chat is now remembered in crisp detail – Tom’s cheery desire for ice-cream cake and the playful, back-and-forth banter with Patsy, his wife of over four decades.
A look at the lives lost in the April 2020 Nova Scotia mass shooting
A couple place a flag at a memorial in Portapique, N.S. on Wednesday, April 22, 2021. The victims in one of Canada s worst mass killings included an RCMP officer, a teacher, health-care workers, retirees, neighbours of the shooter and two correctional officers killed in their home. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan April 15, 2021 - 6:11 AM
HALIFAX - The victims in one of Canada s worst mass killings included an RCMP officer, a teacher, health-care workers, retirees, neighbours of the shooter and two correctional officers killed in their home.
Here is a look at the 22 lives lost on April 18-19, 2020:
The release said a province-wide moment of silence will be observed at 3 p.m. AT on Sunday.
The Nova Scotia Remembers Legacy Society, a volunteer group formed in the aftermath of the shootings, has also organized a memorial race and a private gathering for the families of the victims and special guests on Sunday.
The day will begin at 7 a.m. AT with runs in and around Truro and Colchester County. The society said spectators are welcome along the course route with physical distancing, but won t be allowed at the start or finish lines.
Proceeds from participants will go toward installing a permanent memorial for the victims.