Oshawa residents victims in Nova Scotia shooting

Two former Oshawa residents were among the victims of a mass shooting in Portapique, NS this past weekend.

Dawn Madson and Frank Gulenchyn were among the 19 who lost their lives as a shooter made his way through the Nova Scotia town of approximately 100 people.

Madson worked at Oshawa’s Hillsdale Terraces until her retirement. She also leaves behind two sons.

Regional Chair John Henry expressed his condolences on behalf of the Region of Durham in a press release, adding flags at regional headquarters have been lowered to half mast until further notice.

“This tragedy hits especially close to home, as two of the victims were long-time Durham residents, Dawn, who was a former employee working at Hillsdale Terraces long-term care home for decades and retired in 2019, and her husband Frank. Our hearts go out to their family and all families affected by this senseless tragedy,” says Henry.

A GoFundMe has been started in support of their two sons, Jon and Ryan Farrington, with the goal of reaching $2,000. It surpassed that goal after less than 24 hours, and currently sits at $11,530 at the time of writing.

“As a nation, we are united in these moments of sorrow and grief. We can never understand these senseless acts of violence. But, we hope these communities can find comfort and support in the nation that stands behind them,” he says.

To donate to the GoFundMe, visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/jon-farrington?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet