Progress Monitoring Committee - Turning the Tide Together - Terms of Reference

Background and context

The Joint Canada – Nova Scotia Mass Casualty Commission Public Inquiry final report, Turning the Tide Together (the “MCC Report”), released on March 30, 2023, makes recommendations intended to address and improve public safety, mental health and community safety and well-being. The MCC Report identifies a shared responsibility of the Canadian and Nova Scotian governments to respond to the report, and calls upon other levels of government, civil society, community groups, and members of the public to join together to affect positive change. In response, Canada and Nova Scotia have established the Progress Monitoring Committee (PMC) to provide a mechanism to monitor, report on, create mutual accountability and exchange knowledge and information as Canada and Nova Scotia, and others, respond to the MCC Report. The PMC will play this critical role and support engagement and transparency as Canada, Nova Scotia and other partners work collectively to advance this vital work.

Canada and Nova Scotia recognize the importance of ensuring the public is kept informed of their continuing response to the MCC Report and through these Terms of Reference establish the PMC to provide a mechanism to monitor, report on, create mutual accountability and exchange knowledge and information as Canada and Nova Scotia, in collaboration with other partners, respond to the MCC Report.

1.0 Mandate

• 1.1 The mandate of the PMC is to:
  1. Monitor and periodically publicly report on the initiatives that Canada and Nova Scotia are undertaking in response to the MCC Report, including a rationale for these initiatives;
  2. Liaise and consult, as necessary, with Canada, Nova Scotia and with community members on strategies related to the monitoring of the work undertaken by Canada and Nova Scotia in response to the MCC Report.

2.0 Responsibilities

• 2.1 The responsibilities of the PMC are as follows:
  1. Develop a plan for monitoring the work that Canada and Nova Scotia are undertaking in response to the MCC;
  2. Share the PMC monitoring plan before its completion with Canada and Nova Scotia officials for consultation;
  3. On completion of the monitoring plan, the PMC Secretariat will assist the Chair in submitting the plan to the Minister of Public Safety Canada and the Minister of Justice for Nova Scotia;
  4. Create a website, in both official languages, where the monitoring plan, progress and updates will be posted; and
  5. Provide public updates, in both official languages, on the status of the work being undertaken by Canada and Nova Scotia by:
     1. Publishing and delivering to the Minister of Public Safety Canada and the Minister of Justice for Nova Scotia an annual report in both official languages summarizing the PMC’s monitoring plan and the work of the PMC; and
     2. Providing general public updates on its website no less than every six (6) months.
• 2.2  Collaborate and share information, as appropriate, with other forums, committees, working groups and other bodies that have been or will be created to advance work related to areas included in the MCC Report. The PMC will avoid duplicating the work of these forums. Canada and Nova Scotia officials will assist the PMC in identifying and establishing contact with these bodies.

3.0 Guiding Principles

• 3.1 The PMC will adhere to the following guiding principles as it undertakes its work:
1. Trust and respect – Develop relationships built on trust and respect demonstrated, in part, through transparency on the PMC’s processes, timelines,  roles, responsibilities and accountabilities, and a collective commitment to listen to and learn from different perspectives in order to find common ground.
2. Collaboration –Ensure that the perspectives of various stakeholders and jurisdictions are reflected in the work.
3. Consensus – Decisions on how the PMC will function will be on a consensus basis.
4. Diversity – Consider diversity in the work of the PMC, including the impact on women, men, gender-diverse people, members of Indigenous and northern communities, members of African Canadian communities, members of other underrepresented and underserved groups.
5. Trauma-informed and victim-centric approach – Ensure the work of the PMC is grounded in an understanding of and responsiveness to the impact of trauma and ensure that people impacted by violence are treated with respect, dignity, and empathy.

4.0 Chair of PMC

• 4.1 The Minister of Public Safety Canada and the Minister of Justice for Nova Scotia have appointed a Founding Chair of the PMC who will serve for a term of approximately one year and will assist Canada and Nova Scotia in the appointment of a Chair for the remainder of the term of the PMC.


• 4.2 The Founding Chair (and the Chair following the Founding Chair) of the PMC will take a trauma-informed approach considering diversity and inclusion to foster discussion, encourage and engage the views of members, build consensus and seek opportunities to support Canada and Nova Scotia’s work towards safer communities.


• 4.3 The Chair is responsible to:
1. Chair meetings;
2. Develop agendas with input from members;
3. Schedule such periodic meetings and on such notice as required by the work of the PMC, but not more than four (4) meetings per year;
4. Encourage members to attend meetings regularly and have meetings proceed efficiently and respectfully;
5. Ensure reports and plans of the PMC are delivered in accordance with these Terms of Reference and the PMC’s monitoring plan;
6. Oversee the development of the PMC website;
7. Liaise with Canada and Nova Scotia to offer advice and recommendation for membership including terms, vacancies and other membership issues that may arise;  
8. Manage the PMC Secretariat staff and resources; and
9. Be the spokesperson of the PMC in order to represent the consensus based work of the PMC.

5.0 Composition of the PMC

• 5.1 The member composition of the PMC may include representatives from the following groups and/or organizations, or individuals, as determined by Canada and Nova Scotia following consultation with the Chair:
1. At least two (2) representatives of those most impacted, meaning the families of the deceased and/or survivors;
2. A municipal representative from the County of Colchester, Cumberland or Hants;
3. A senior representative from the RCMP;
4. A member of the RCMP Management Advisory Board;
5. A senior representative from Public Safety Canada;
6. A representative from a local, regional, or national policing association;
7. A senior representative from the Government of Nova Scotia;
8. A representative from the gender-based violence advocacy and support sectors, preferably from Nova Scotia;
9. A representative of Indigenous community organizations; and
10. A representative of African Canadian community organizations.

• 5.2 Members are responsible for drawing upon their knowledge and expertise to provide advice and strategic direction in support of the PMC mandate.

• 5.3 Alternates are not permitted; each member is expected to be an active participant and meaningfully contribute to the work of the PMC through analysis and consideration of complex factors, holistic problem-solving, effective and respectful communication and collaboration.

• 5.4  The Chair is responsible to speak on behalf of the PMC. Members are expected to respect the Chair’s role in representing the work of the PMC. Members are expected to behave in a manner consistent with Canada’s Ethical and Political Activity Guidelines for Public Office Holders and the Conflict of Interest Act, and Nova Scotia’s Values, Ethics & Conduct: A Code for Nova Scotia’s Public Servants. Government members of the PMC are expected to behave in a manner consistent with their respective conditions of employment.

6.0 Meeting Format and Minutes

• 6.1 Meetings will be held in Nova Scotia or Ottawa, as determined by the Chair.

• 6.2 Meeting attendance may be in person and/or virtually, as determined by the Chair.

• 6.3 A record of meetings of the PMC will be prepared in a manner determined by the Chair, and provided to Canada and Nova Scotia.

• 6.4 Quorum for meetings shall be a majority of the members at any given time. The Chair must be in attendance at any meeting to achieve quorum.

7.0 Secretariat and Resources

• 7.1 A budget for the PMC will be established by Canada and Nova Scotia in consultation with the Chair

• 7.2 Canada and Nova Scotia will establish a Secretariat that will provide coordination and administrative support to the PMC, including the following:
1. Preparing agendas in consultation with and as determined by the Chair, and documenting meeting proceedings;
2. Distributing meeting materials and information in advance, so that members can review materials and fully engage in discussions;
3. Coordinating of updates from Canada and Nova Scotia and others;
4. Coordinating of translation requirements, and arranging for the web publication of plans and reports and delivery of materials, as necessary and at the direction of the Chair;
5. Facilitating the processing and payment of PMC members remuneration and travel expenses incurred as part of the PMC’s mandate; and
6. Carrying out corporate management duties to maintain compliance with applicable Canada or Nova Scotia policies on topics relevant to the PMC, including, but not limited to:
1. Security of Information;
2. Access to Information;
3. Privacy Protection;
4. Travel, Hospitality, Conference and Event Expenditures; and
5. Official languages.

8.0 Remuneration and PMC Expenses

• 8.1 The Founding Chair shall receive a per diem of $1250, and any Chair following the Founding Chair shall receive a per diem in the range of $1065 to $1250.


• 8.2 Members of the PMC shall receive a per diem of $800.


• 8.3 Members of the PMC who are government officials (including the RCMP) are considered to be participating in the committee in the course of their normal duties and shall not receive remuneration or other forms of compensation.


• 8.4 The Chair and members of the PMC shall be remunerated at half the per diem rate for meetings lasting 1-3 hours, and a full per diem rate for meetings lasting more than three hours. They shall also be remunerated for time required to prepare for in-person or virtual meetings.


• 8.5 For clarity, the Chair and PMC members shall each keep a tally of the reasonable time spent preparing for meetings, which may include, for example, sending and responding to emails, document review, and other relevant tasks. The minimum increment of time payment shall be 0.25 hours. On the first of each month, the PMC Chair and members will present their total hours to the Secretariat, and will be remunerated at a full per-diem for each 7.5 hours worked.


• 8.6 Travel and other related expenses of the Chair and members of the PMC shall be determined in accordance with Treasury Board of Canada guidelines. Government members of the PMC (including the RCMP) will follow travel procedures as set out by their respective governments.

9.0 Confidentiality and Records

• 9.1 In order to encourage frank and open discussion at the PMC, discussions and meeting materials are confidential and must not be disclosed to external parties without prior discussion and approval by the PMC as a whole. Sharing of information related to the PMC will be through the Secretariat.


• 9.2 Subject to applicable law, any information that PMC members may become privy to through their work shall not be shared or used beyond the purpose for which it was provided. All documents and records obtained and created in the course of the work done as a PMC member shall be stored and disposed of in accordance with the applicable law.


• 9.3 Any records of the PMC shall be returned to Canada and Nova Scotia at the end of the PMC mandate.

10.0 Term

• 10.1 The PMC shall be established for a term of 3 years, subject to extension for a further period to be determined by the mutual agreement of Canada and Nova Scotia.

11.0 Revisions to Terms of Reference

• 11.1 These Terms of Reference may be revised at any time by the joint approval in writing of the Minister of Public Safety Canada and the Minister of Justice for Nova Scotia.

12.0 Approvals

This document was approved and adopted in July 2023 in Ottawa, Ontario and in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

The Honourable Brad Johns
Attorney General and Minister of Justice
Nova Scotia

The Honourable Dominic LeBlanc
Minister of Public Safety Canada 

Linda Lee Oland
Founding Chair of the Progress Monitoring Committee

Date modified:

2023-09-11