Myra Freeman, former lieutenant-governor of Nova Scotia and member of the Order of Canada, will take over as chair of the committee that monitors the implementation progress of the Mass Casualty Commission’s recommendations.

The previous and founding chair, Linda Lee Oland, had a one-year term, which ends Friday, according to a news release from the federal government.

Freeman will take over on Saturday.

“The Committee has laid a solid foundation in its first year, and I look forward to working with the committee members to build on that important work of monitoring progress made by the provincial and federal governments and the RCMP, and communicating that progress with Nova Scotians and Canadians,” writes Freeman in the news release.

Freeman was the first female, as well as the first Jewish, lieutenant-governor in the country, serving in Nova Scotia from 2000 to 2007.

The Progress Monitoring Committee was established in September 2023 to help monitor and hold accountable the federal and provincial governments progress on the final Mass Casualty Commission report, which outlines recommendations for both levels of government.  Sixteen people, including family of victims, people from all levels of governments, police, people from African Nova Scotian and Indigenous communities, along with people from the gender-based violence support sector.

The committee will continue to update the public by posting on its website no less than every six months and by writing an annual report.

In the release, minister Barbara Adams says she thanks Oland for her term as founding chair.

Adams also says she’s pleased to welcome Freeman to the committee.

“She understands the impact the mass casualty has had – and continues to have – in our province and will bring compassion and perspective to the important work of the committee,” Adams writes the release.