New community hall in Portapique, N.S. to offer a chance at healing after mass shooting – Halifax

Nearly three years after a deadly rampage started in the small Nova Scotia community of Portapique, the community is finding ways to heal with the construction of a new community hall.

Residents of Portapique are still dealing with the impacts of the April 2020 mass shooting — an event that left many people grappling for normalcy.

During the course of 13 hours, a gunman killed 22 people. Just last week, the Mass Casualty Commission released its findings after 76 days of public hearings, touching on a variety of issues, including the police response and how to prevent a future tragedy.

“Like any grief experience, everyone reacts differently. So, some are progressing very well and some folks are still having challenges and I think that’s natural,” said Alana Hirtle with the Rotary Club of Truro.

In the days after the shooting, the Rotary Club struck a committee called Rotary Cares to come up with ways to help the community heal. Among the ideas would be an upgrade and addition to the existing community hall, which prompted a major fundraising campaign.

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Portapique Community Hall

Many are hopeful that the Portapique Community Hall, which is slated to open this September, will create new and joyful experiences.

“Over the past couple years since the incident, it’s big … maybe a cloud looming over everybody around here. So seeing something new and fresh come up in the community might be a benefit to everybody mentally and socially,” said Dallas Allen, a builder with the project.

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Now that construction is well underway, the opportunities for the hall are limitless.

Hirtle said residents from nearby communities could use the facility as well, for things such as youth programming and cooking classes.

“It’s phenomenal,” she said.

“I can’t even tell you how much we’re going to be doing there.”

The hall will be located in the same spot where the existing hall has stood for 200 years.

“This will be a perfect area for that, with the outdoor space that they’ll have to do barbecues, events,” Lloyd said.

“I think it will be very beneficial to the community of Portapique.”

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