Summary and conclusions
This report reviewed 15 major mass-victimization events in Canada from 1975 to 2025. Using systematic review methods, including Covidence and advanced search tools, the team analyzed available documentation and extracted key learnings.
Several core themes emerged:
- The urgent need for timely psychological support following mass violence;
- The value of holistic, long-term legal, financial, and emotional victim support;
- The importance of hate crime prevention, especially targeting anti-Muslim and gender-based violence;
- The critical role of police training, proactive community engagement, and rapid response capabilities;
- The need for stricter firearm regulations and enhanced border surveillance;
- The benefit of community resilience-building, interfaith and intercultural dialogue, and anti-hate initiatives;
- The necessity of early intervention strategies for individuals at risk due to violent ideologies or untreated mental illness;
- The impact of education and public awareness, including programs like bystander intervention training.
Our review also identified key gaps for urgent action that include:
- Recognition that mass victimization events impact not only direct victims but also significantly affect the mental health and wellbeing of families, communities, and frontline responders;
- Integrate psychosocial support considerations into all mass victimization preparedness simulations, using standardized and adaptable templates that reflect the needs of diverse communities and responder groups;
- Identify and evaluate international best practices for responding to and preventing mass victimization events and adapt these practices to align with Canada’s unique cultural context;
- Develop inclusive, age-appropriate, and culturally specific supports for mass victimization response that address the unique needs of children, older adults, persons with disabilities, and individuals with diverse intersectional identities, including Indigenous peoples, racialized communities, LGBTQ2SIA+ individuals, and those in rural or Northern regions;
- Include Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) to provide victim-centred support, ensuring their effective integration into immediate, short-term, and long-term responses to mass victimization events;
- Develop and implement long-term support strategies that address the sustained physical, mental health, and psychosocial needs of victims, their families, witnesses, communities, and frontline responders in the aftermath of mass victimization events.
In conclusion, the recommendations and lessons learned reviewed in this report offer valuable insight into how Canada has responded to mass victimization and where further progress is possible. Moving forward, a multidimensional approach that prioritizes both prevention and recovery is essential. This includes advancing inclusive public policy, strengthening institutional supports, and empowering communities to stand resilient in the face of hate and violence.
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