Gov. Gen. Mary Simon visited the northeast B.C. community of Tumbler Ridge on Monday as residents continue to grieve the aftermath of a mass shooting on Feb. 10 in which eight people were killed.
The two-day visit marks her second time in the Peace Region as she attended a community vigil held immediately after the shooting.
Simon said she wanted to check in on the community and share words of support from across Canada.
“I’ve come to let the people here know that Canada thinks about this and thinks about them, and it’s on people’s minds,” she said. “And it’s not forgotten by any means.”
Six children were among those killed by 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar, who killed herself at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School.
Residents are experiencing different levels of grief, said Simon, but noted Canadians see Tumbler Ridge as a resilient community.
“No matter what happens, I think as Canadians, we should be showing kindness to each other. We should have empathy for each other and compassion, and we should look after each other,” she said.
Accompanied by Tumbler Ridge Mayor Darryl Krakowka, the Governor General visited a memorial to the eight victims where she laid a paper heart with a message that reads:
“Nothing justifies this, your grief matters. You are held in shared sorrow. We are with you.”
Simon said there’s still a heaviness in town, but residents are working together to ensure everyone in the community is looked after.
On Tuesday, Simon is set to visit students at the temporary site of Tumbler Ridge Secondary School and then meet with health-care professionals.
Reconciliation and resilience are the planned topics of discussion, but Simon said the agenda is open, with students able to share whatever they like.
She said children are able to bounce back and don’t always get engulfed by grief.
“They can bounce back a little quicker than adults sometimes, and they get engaged in different things and have a distraction,” said Simon.
Tumbler Ridge is a good example of reconciliation, the Governor General added, noting the messages of support to the community from Canadians are also an act of reconciliation.
“Reconciliation is really a process whereby we get to know each other better so that we can work together and live side by side in comfort or without conflict,” said Simon.
Simon said she remains committed to supports for mental health, especially in rural and remote communities where help isn’t always accessible.
“My long-term objective for remote rural communities is to help train individuals in the community that they live in, so that they become the counsellors and the front-line workers that live in their community,” she said.
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