Nova Scotia·NewGlace Bay-area Coun. Dave MacKeigan is calling for more action from police, saying people across Cape Breton Regional Municipality are living in fear after a home on Cameron Street became the latest to be struck by gunfire.Glace Bay councillor calling for more action from police after another home hit by gunfireTom Ayers · CBC News · Posted: Sep 25, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 30 minutes agoGlace Bay gunfire has residents nervousA drive-by shooting last week marked the fourth time since March that homes in CBRM communities have been hit by gunfire. As Kyle Moore reports, it’s sparking calls for more action from police.A councillor in Glace Bay, N.S., says residents across Cape Breton Regional Municipality are afraid and are calling for more action from the police after a fourth drive-by shooting this year.Coun. Dave MacKeigan said the incident last Friday on Cameron Street has sparked a lot of worry and many are attributing the increased gun crime to drugs.”Our residents, we deserve more than to be living in fear,” MacKeigan said. “We need real action immediately to have these drug houses shut down so our residents can live a normal life.”We haven’t had a drive-by shooting in Glace Bay to my knowledge for a long, long time, if ever, but … it’s not a surprise that it’s happening because these drug houses are allowed to remain open.”There were two shootings in Sydney Mines in March and police reported another off Mira Road near Sydney a month later.No one was injured, but a man was shot to death outside a home in Whitney Pier in February.Isolated incidents: policePolice have not said the shootings are drug-related. They say they are isolated incidents involving people who are known to each other.MacKeigan said that’s no comfort for people who are worried about stray gunfire.”Even though the police believe this to be not random, bullets do not choose their targets,” he said.”Those people are still out there in the community. How do we know it was between them? Nobody’s been arrested. Nobody’s saying anything. We do not know.”Some residents on Cameron Street did not want to comment publicly out of fear of retaliation.Chief Robert Walsh says the Cape Breton Regional Police Service is doing everything it can to investigate gun crimes, but witnesses need to come forward with information. (Tom Ayers/CBC)MacKeigan said that’s a widespread problem, but police need to do something about it.”I’m hearing from residents all over the CBRM, because it is happening all over the CBRM,” he said.”This is the fourth drive-by shooting in CBRM that I’m aware of this year … so it’s escalating this year, so people right across CBRM are worried.”Chief Robert Walsh said the regional police are doing everything they can to try to solve the gun crimes.Police call for co-operation”We have focused, dedicated resources on these investigations and we have suspects in some of them, but what we really need is the co-operation of the victims and the public to come forward or at least provide information to us to help us successfully lay charges and prosecute,” he said.Walsh acknowledged that people are scared but said the general public should feel safe.He said witnesses can help, even if they want to remain anonymous.”We need information and we encourage people to even contact us through Crime Stoppers if they’re more comfortable.”CBRM Coun. Glenn Paruch, who chairs the police commission, says politicians can’t get involved in investigations, but the community can help with information. (Tom Ayers/CBC)Coun. Glenn Paruch, who chairs the police commission, said he’s hearing from residents about the increase in drive-by shootings.”If you would have said that five years ago, people would have thought you were foolish. But now, it’s becoming ever more apparent,” he said.Paruch said politicians can’t get involved in investigations, but he echoed the chief’s message.”I know people are a little reluctant right now as they’re scared … but we have to come together to work with the police to help solve them.”Public session on SundayMacKeigan had scheduled a “talk and tea” session at the Branch 3 Legion on Union Street in Glace Bay on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. to talk to residents about budget priorities.But he said the police chief will also be on hand to talk about crime in the community.Walsh said he intends to be there.ABOUT THE AUTHORTom Ayers has been a reporter and editor for 39 years. He has spent the last 21 covering Cape Breton and Nova Scotia stories. You can reach him at tom.ayers@cbc.ca.
CBRM councillors, residents fearful after increase in shootings
