The victims in one of Canada鈥檚 worst mass killings include an RCMP officer, a teacher, two nurses, neighbours of the shooter and two correctional officers killed in their home.
Here is a look at some of the lives lost:
Dawn Madsen and Frank Gulenchyn
The couple lived in the Durham region in southern Ontario before moving to Nova Scotia, where they were among the victims of this weekend鈥檚 violence, a municipal official said.
John Henry, regional chair and chief executive officer of the Regional Municipality of Durham, extended his condolences to the couple鈥檚 family in a statement Monday.
Madsen worked at the Hillsdale Terraces long-term care home in Oshawa for decades before retiring in 2019, Henry said.
Online videos show a procession of emergency vehicles driving by an Oshawa home to pay their respects to Madsen鈥檚 sons Jon and Ryan Farrington
Joey Webber
Webber had gone on a family errand toward the Shubenacadie, N.S., area, about 50 kilometres northwest of Halifax, when he was killed.
Coun. Steve Streatch, who lives four houses away from Webber in the rural community of Antrim, said he was 鈥渁 fine young man who lived in the community of the Musquodoboit Valley, and it鈥檚 a tragic loss.鈥�
Streatch said Webber worked in the woods, often using traditional methods, and is survived by young daughters.
鈥淗e had a good outlook. He always had a big smile, and a lot of times that鈥檚 hard to find in people. Often in the morning I would drive by to council and I鈥檇 see him at the bus stop with his children,鈥� Streatch said.
鈥淗e always waved and had a big smile on this face.鈥�
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Tom Bagley
Bagley died while 鈥渢rying to help,鈥� his daughter Charlene Bagley says.
His neighbours in Wentworth, N.S., say Bagley, a military veteran and retired firefighter, was killed Sunday morning as he walked toward a burning home on Hunter Road.
鈥淚f you knew him, you knew that was just who he was all the time,鈥� Charlene Bagley wrote in a Facebook post.
Bagley served as a firefighter at the Halifax Stanfield International Airport from 1975 to 2006, a spokeswoman for the airport authority said in an email.
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Corrie Ellison
Ellison, 42, was remembered Monday as a thoughtful, kind friend who went out of his way to help others.
鈥淗e鈥檚 the type of person that I don鈥檛 think anybody would want to see that happen to him,鈥� his father Richard Ellison says.
Corrie Ellison lived in Truro, N.S., but was visiting his father in Portapique when he was killed. Richard Ellison declined to comment on how his son died.
Ashley Fennell says she was good friends with Corrie Ellison for almost a decade. She describes him as 鈥渁 beautiful soul.鈥�
Corrie Ellison was on disability support because of an old injury. He had no children of his own but he loved kids, Fennell says.
He would join Fennell and her son swimming in the summer and last Christmas, he offered some money for her son鈥檚 gifts. He once paid for Fennell to take her son on a trip to a water park when she was struggling.
鈥淚 would call him, and it didn鈥檛 matter what he was doing, he would jump for me,鈥� she says.
He had texted her about picking up a cigarette roller about a week ago, but the two never arranged a time with the ongoing pandemic. Fennell didn鈥檛 know it would be the last time she talked to her friend.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 text him back right away and now I鈥檓 regretting all this,鈥� she says. 鈥淗e was just such a nice guy.鈥�
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Jolene Oliver, Aaron Tuck and Emily Tuck
The family members were neighbours of the shooter. Oliver鈥檚 sister, Tammy Oliver-McCurdie, said the three were found dead in their Portapique, N.S., home.
Oliver was turning 40 this year and her husband was 45. Their daughter, Emily, was 17.
They had moved to the community after Tuck鈥檚 father died a few years ago.
鈥淣o matter how much they went through in life they always stayed together, and there was times that they had nothing,鈥� Oliver-McCurdie said.
The sisters grew up in Calgary and remained close into adulthood. Oliver-McCurdie said Oliver was a people person who loved working as a waitress, which she did for most of her life.
鈥淪he was such a great listener.鈥�
Emily was an intelligent girl who had plans to continue her education, but couldn鈥檛 decide whether to pursue art or welding, her aunt said.
鈥淭hat kid was so bright. She knew how to weld. She knew how to fix cars. She played the violin.鈥�
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Sean McLeod and Alanna Jenkins
The Wentworth, N.S., couple were correctional officers.
McLeod鈥檚 daughter, Taylor McLeod, said Jenkins worked at the Nova Institution for Women in Truro and McLeod worked at the Springhill Institution for more than 20 years.
McLeod鈥檚 daughter said the couple deeply loved and cared for her, her little sister and Taylor鈥檚 daughter.
鈥淭hey would have done anything for anybody and they always made sure people were welcome in their home.鈥�
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Greg and Jamie Blair
The couple ran a firm that provides service, sales and installation of natural gas and propane units in the area where the shootings happened.
Relative Judy MacBurnie, said the pair had two small children who are being cared for by grandparents. Greg Blair also had two older sons from an earlier relationship.
MacBurnie said her nephew was a 鈥渨onderful person who was always laughing and was the funniest person you ever met.鈥�
鈥淗e could find humour in anything and anybody 鈥� You couldn鈥檛 be around him too long because your face and belly hurt so bad from laughing.鈥�
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Heather O鈥橞rien
The Victorian Order of Nurses said O鈥橞rien was a licensed practical nurse and had worked with VON for nearly 17 years.
O鈥橞rien鈥檚 daughter, Darcy Dobson, posted on Facebook about her mother.
鈥淪he was kind. She was beautiful. She didn鈥檛 deserve any of this,鈥� Dobson wrote, pleading with friends and family not to let the shooting define her mother.
鈥淚 want everyone to remember how kind she was. How much she loved being a nurse,鈥� she wrote.
鈥淭he way her eyes sparkled when she talked to her grandchildren and the way she just loved Christmas. Let those things define her. Not the horrible way she died.鈥�
Portapique resident Lucille Adams says she knew O鈥橞rien.
鈥淪he has so much compassion for the people she worked for and her family,鈥� she says. 鈥淪he was a very loving person. She was always out there to help somebody. It鈥檚 a tragedy that her family has to deal with this.鈥�
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Gina Goulet
Goulet, a 54-year-old Shubenacadie, N.S., resident, beat cancer 鈥� twice.
Her daughter, Amelia Butler, said Goulet was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2016. Goulet was warned that her prospects didn鈥檛 look good, but she beat the odds.
Goulet was diagnosed with cancer a second time late last year, and had almost fully recovered when she died.
鈥淪he fought so hard for her life,鈥� Butler said.
Goulet was a denturist for 27 years. Butler couldn鈥檛 say whether her mother encountered the shooter, who worked in the same field.
Butler said her mother was an avid angler and would often retreat to her cottage with her two dogs to go bass fishing.
Goulet was also a salsa dancer who would travel to Cuba whenever she got the chance.
鈥淭hat was the place where she was the happiest.鈥�
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Kristen Beaton
The Victorian Order of Nurses confirmed that Beaton had worked for the organization for six years.
鈥淜risten began work with VON nearly six years ago and 鈥� was a caring and compassionate member of the VON team.鈥�
Beaton鈥檚 husband Nick Beaton posted on Facebook a plea to get Nova Scotia nurses the proper equipment to protect them from COVID-19 in his wife鈥檚 honour.
鈥淪he cried everyday before and everyday after work scared to bring this covid home to her son she loved more than I could even imagine anyone could love one person,鈥� Nick Beaton posted.
鈥淲e need to be her voice now. So please for Kristen鈥檚 sake protect the ones who are protecting us.鈥�
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Lisa McCully
McCully was a teacher at the elementary school in the community of Debert, N.S.
Paul Wozney, president of the Nova Scotia Teachers Union, said McCully was known as a passionate teacher and 鈥渁s a shining love鈥� in the lives of her friends and family.
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Const. Heidi Stevenson
Stevenson had been with the RCMP for 23 years and was a mother of two.
鈥淗eidi answered the call of duty and lost her life while protecting those she served,鈥� Nova Scotia RCMP Assistant Commissioner Lee Bergerman said in a statement.
鈥淭wo children have lost their mother and a husband his wife. Parents lost their daughter and countless others lost an incredible friend and colleague.
鈥淭here are no words to describe their pain.鈥�
The Nova Scotia Teachers Union said Stevenson鈥檚 husband, Dean Stevenson, teaches at Cole Harbour District High School.
The Canadian Press
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