Lac La Biche RCMP and members at detachments across the province held private moments of remembrance on Friday in memory of Constable Heidi Stevenson, the Nova Scotia officer who was one of the 22 people killed during a gunman's rampage last Saturday night.
Flags at the detachment and at municipal, provincial and federal buildings have been at half-mast in recognition of the tragedy since last weekend.
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While Canada's senior RCMP officials suggested 11 am MST on Friday for private moments of silence in RCMP offices across the country, each detachment was also left to determine the best time for their staff.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a regimental funeral cannot be held for Stevenson, a 23-year-veteran of the force and a mother of two children. But RCMP senior officials have said a memorial service is expected once health protocols allow.
In the Lac La Biche region, RCMP say they have felt the outpouring of support from the local community for the loss of the officer and the tragedy on the other side of the country.
"A lot of people have expressed their support and have reached out to us," Lac La Biche RCMP Sgt. Charles Brown told the POST, explaining that the lowered flags in communities across Canada are a show of support to everyone involved with the tragedy, which is now the worst mass shooting in Canadian history.