In wake of the Tumbler Ridge shooting, many support services are available to the public 24 hours a day, seven days a week: 310-Mental Health Support at 310-6789; Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868 or text CONNECT to 686868; Suicide Crisis Helpline: 988; KUU-US (Indigenous) Crisis Line: 1-800-588-8717; Métis Crisis Line: 1-833-638-4722; Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868.
Dozens gathered at Kelowna’s Stuart Park to mourn the lives lost in the deadly Tumbler Ridge shooting on Sunday night, Feb. 15.
Eight people were killed during the shooting on Feb. 10, ranging in age from 11 to 39 years old, and 27 others were injured. The shooter, 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar, was found dead inside the school with a “self-inflicted injury.”
In the wake of the tragedy, Canadians from across the country have been showing their support for the small community of Tumbler Ridge, including those in Kelowna who gathered at a candlelight vigil on Sunday night.
The vigil was perhaps most emotional to some of the former residents of Tumbler Ridge living in Kelowna, a few of whom came out during the chilly night to pay their respects to their former community.
Former teacher at Tumbler Ridge Secondary, Johanna Johns shared a deeply personal story about the community in a speech.
“I’m still trying to process what happened, just as I know many of you are. We stand together: confused, hurting and feeling deep compassion for the families, children and educators who endured such a violent tragedy,” she said.
Johns was a Grade 7/8 teacher at Tumbler Ridge Secondary. She said she moved to the community in 2019 following the loss of her 15-year-old daughter to suicide.
“I believed that the mountains, waterfalls and lakes would soothe my aching heart. While nature offered a quiet comfort, it was the compassion and the warmth of that community that truly helped me cope. The people of Tumbler Ridge met my grief head-on with understanding and love. Their kindness helped heal my heart and gave me hope when I needed it most.”
She added that the community cared deeply for the students, saying that the principal made sure there was always food in the school in cases the students hadn’t ate. Johns added that the local RCMP made a special connection with the students as well, at one point making weekly visits to Johns’ gym class to play games with the students.
“They told me they just wanted the kids to see them as people and that they wanted to create relationships,” Johns said.
She added that she often wonders if those same officers were part of the first responders that arrived at the scene of the Feb. 10 shooting.
Johns said she spoke with current Tumbler Ridge Secondary teacher Mark Deeley – who has made headlines for his bravery and actions to keep the children safe during the shooting – who asked her to share a message with the public.
“Tell them that we are strong. Tel them that we are resilient. Tell them that when it happened, every single kid and adult at that school did their job and that saved lives,’” Johns said, reading Deeley’s message. “More importantly (Deeley) wants you to know, ‘you tell them we will be back.’”
The emotions of the speech reached many throughout the crowd, resonating especially with retired couple Al and Sue-Ellen Johnson, who said they both lived in Tumbler Ridge Elementary and worked at Tumbler Ridge Secondary from 1985 to 2010, working a principal and secretary respectively.
“Our hearts go out to the people of Tumbler Ridge,” Sue-Ellen said.
The two said they had started working in the town in 1985, a few years after it was founded. They said the town had many people passing through for work over the years, and that it would be common to find people in Kelowna who lived in Tumbler Ridge previously.
The two said Tumbler Ridge is a beautiful community, and they never imagined an event like the Feb. 10 tragedy could happen.
Local politicians such as Kelowna Mayor Tom Dyas, Kelowna-Centre MLA Kristina Loewen and Kelowna MP Stephen Fuhr also spoke during the vigil.
“On behalf of our entire community, I want the people of Tumbler Ridge to know you are not alone. We stand with you, we mourn with you and we hold you in our hearts,” Dyas said.
“Even in the midst of this (tragedy), we’ve seen what the (Tumbler Ridge) community is made of. We’ve seen responders move towards danger without hesitation. We’ve seen neighbours show up for one another. We’ve seen people step forward quietly, not because anyone asked them to, but because that’s who they are,” Fuhr said.
A moment of silence was held during the speeches, and people gathered there were asked to give their thoughts and prayers towards two people injured in the shooting, 12-year-old Maya Gebala and 19-year-old Page Hoekstra, the former of which remains in critical condition.
People in the crowd were asked to leave something behind for the vigil, whether that be flowers or a non-flammable candle. Stickers that read: “Tumbler Ridge STRONG” were also handed out.