In just over two months, five women were killed in Nova Scotia by a male partner, police say.
These homicides, which have shattered families and left communities reeling, come mere months after the legislature adopted a bill in September declaring domestic violence an epidemic.
In an open letter sent this week, more than a dozen gender-based violence groups called on Premier Tim Houston and two ministers to take urgent action.
“We are not seeing any tangible commitments to epidemic-level funding — massive increases in funding,” said advocate Liz LeClair, who signed the letter.
“Transition houses, sexual assault centres, legal services, victim services in this province need a massive overhaul.”
Each of the five recent incidents of intimate partner violence were murder-suicides and, in one case, the woman’s father was also killed.
Here is what we know so far about the five cases:
Brenda Tatlock-Burke – Oct. 18
Brenda Tatlock-Burke, 59, was full of life and always smiling, according to her daughter Tara Graham.
Tatlock-Burke had just spent several weeks visiting her family in Alberta, where she told them she planned on leaving her husband, Mike Burke.
On Oct. 18, 2024, two days after Tatlock-Burke returned to Nova Scotia, RCMP were called to a home in Enfield, where they found the bodies of two adults.
The Nova Scotia Medical Examiner Service later said Tatlock-Burke had been the victim of a homicide and the 61-year-old man had died from self-inflicted injuries.
Graham told Global News in October she was fighting to have her mother’s death acknowledged as intimate partner violence in order to raise awareness about the tragedy.
Her family also wanted RCMP to confirm Burke was a former RCMP officer.
“I just don’t feel like it’s taken seriously until somebody is severely injured or they’re dead,” she said about intimate partner violence.
“I just want everybody to know that it can happen to anybody. So, to look at the signs, listen to your friends.”
Brenda Tatlock-Burke was killed in October 2024 in Enfield, N.S. Her family says she was the victim of intimate partner violence and they are calling for police to acknowledge that fact.
Provided/Tara Graham
The bodies of a 49-year-old woman and a 58-year-old man were found inside a home on Placid Court in Yarmouth on Nov. 1.
RCMP said in an update a few days later that the woman’s death was the result of homicide and it’s believed the man was responsible for her death.
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“The investigation shows this to be an incident of intimate partner violence,” RCMP said.
“Our thoughts continue to be with their loved ones and the community at this difficult time.”
No names were released.
A 71-year-old woman and 72-year-old man were found dead in a home in Cole Harbour, a community outside Halifax, on Nov. 4, 2024.
RCMP confirmed a day later that the woman was the victim of homicide and the man, who died as a result of self-inflicted wounds, was responsible for the woman’s death.
An update from police confirmed the case was “an incident of intimate partner violence” and RCMP said their thoughts were with the community and the deceased’s loved ones.
RCMP said in November 2024 that the death of a 71-year-old woman in Cole Harbour was ruled a homicide and was the result of intimate partner violence.
Angela Capobianco/Global News
Corelee ‘Alisha’ Smith – Dec. 31
Corelee ‘Alisha’ Smith, 40, and her father, Bradford Downey, 73, were shot on New Year’s Eve on Gottingen Street in Halifax’s north end.
In an obituary, Smith — who was known as Alisha — is described as the “life of the party” who loved her two daughters, enjoyed travelling the world and had dedicated half of her career to being a continuing care assistant.
“You could hear her before she enters a room, she could always make you laugh when needed. Her energy could move mountains,” the obituary reads.
Rev. Jivaro Smith, the pastor of Saint Thomas Baptist Church in North Preston where she and her father were from, said Downey was “an amazing guy who wouldn’t harm a flea.”
“He’s one of the nicest men you could ever come to know and he had a love for people,” the pastor said.
Police said Smith was found deceased in a vehicle just after 10:30 p.m. on Dec. 31, 2024. Her father was found unresponsive and later died in hospital.
At 1:30 a.m., officers found Smith’s boyfriend, 39-year-old Matthew Costain, dead at the nearby Halifax Commons. Police said he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
It was later confirmed there was an outstanding warrant for Costain, who was wanted in connection to a 2019 nightclub shooting in Toronto.
Court documents from a sentencing in Toronto a decade ago detailed his lengthy criminal record in Ontario, including a history of firearm offences.
On Jan. 5, RCMP were called to a well-being check of two people at a home on Long Hill Road in Mahone Bay.
Officers found the bodies of a 60-year-old woman and a 75-year-old man.
“(The) investigation has determined that the woman’s death was a result of homicide and that the man, who died as a result of self-inflicted wounds, was responsible for the woman’s death. This incident was the result of intimate partner violence,” RCMP said in an update a few days later.
No names were released.
A neighbour told Global News the two were his friends, and they often spent time together.
“They were great people,” said Pat Smith.
“I just can’t believe … I can’t believe that this happened.”
Mahone Bay Mayor Suzanne Lohnes-Croft said the entire community was reeling from the deaths, with emotions ranging from shock to sadness.
“It can be anywhere. It can happen to anyone and anywhere,” she said. “We’ve been talking about it being an epidemic here … and I think this is sort of affirmation that it is.”
Attorney General and Justice Minister Becky Druhan said she will be meeting with the advocacy groups that sent the open letter.
“These losses are a stark reminder of the critical need to address intimate partner violence, and we stand with those who have been impacted,” she wrote Thursday.
“IPV remains a deeply entrenched issue in our society and continues to affect far too many individuals and families. While progress has been made, we know there is more to be done – and we cannot do it alone.”
Domestic violence was a key theme for the public inquiry that investigated the worst mass shooting in modern Canadian history, which claimed 22 lives on April 18 – 19, 2020, in Nova Scotia.
“Gender-based violence is ubiquitous and under-reported in Canada,” the inquiry’s final report said.
A progress monitoring committee is in place to watch how governments and the RCMP respond to the recommendations.
“There’s so many reports, so much research. We know what we need to do. We need the money to do it, and we need the government and the political will to make that happen,” said advocate Liz LeClair.
Anyone experiencing intimate partner violence can call 911 in the case of an emergency. Support is available in Nova Scotia by dialing 211, calling the provincial toll-free line at 1-855-225-0220, or visiting Nova Scotia 211 online. You can access support anonymously.
