February 2026
Mourning with Tumbler Ridge and Kitigan Zibi
Mourning with Tumbler Ridge and Kitigan Zibi
Image of a dogwood flower via Unsplash. The Pacific Dogwood is British Columbia's floral emblem.
Violence anywhere is a threat to children everywhere.
As parents and caregivers, the mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge has left us reeling. In the wake of such a destabilizing tragedy, we join the community members in their grief and mourning. We send our love and solidarity to everyone in Tumbler Ridge, and all those affected.
The day after the Tumbler Ridge tragedy, gun violence also wreaked havoc in the Algonquin community of Kitigan Zibi, where two children were victims of a domestic homicide.
Many Canadians are inclined to think of gun violence – especially against children – as a problem that happens elsewhere, but that simply isn’t the case. Gun violence is on the rise here, and the vast majority of incidents don’t grab national headlines. Like the climate crisis, gun violence disproportionately impacts racialized groups, poor and working class communities, and women and gender-diverse people.
We need our elected officials to take meaningful action. We need them to advance robust gun control policies – ones that do not scapegoat and criminalize marginalized communities, but instead address the crisis at its root causes. We need investment in mental health services, schools, communities, and a robust social safety net.
As we mourn, we must also fight for life on a liveable planet. So let’s demand that our politicians prevent the next tragedy by investing in the social safety net. Let’s work together to replace the systems that cause harm with ones that nourish health, community, and wellbeing. Let’s hold each other close and take care of each other.
Further reading
- A Love Letter to Tumbler Ridge - The Tyee
- After Tumbler Ridge shooting, false claims about trans people have proliferated online - CBC
- Tumbler Ridge shootings highlight the need for mental health support for survivors and their community - The Conversation
- How can Mark Carney reduce violent crime in Canada? Through prevention and youth outreach - The Conversation
