Facing Backlash, Ottawa Announces Full Inquiry Into N.S. Shootings

Facing Backlash, Ottawa Announces Full Inquiry Into N.S. Shootings
A woman pays her respects to victims of a mass shooting at a roadblock in Portapique, N.S. on April 22, 2020. Andrew Vaughan/The Canadian Press
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HALIFAX—Bowing to public pressure, the federal and Nova Scotia governments agreed Tuesday to scuttle their plans for a joint review into the April mass shooting that claimed 22 lives and instead establish a more rigorous public inquiry.

Public Safety Minister Bill Blair made the announcement late in the day after five Liberal MPs from Nova Scotia broke ranks and openly challenged their own government’s decision, which was announced only last week.