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Man charged with Nanaimo mill killings makes short court appearance

NANAIMO — The wife and daughter of Michael Lunn, who was killed in a shooting at the Western Forest Products sawmill in Nanaimo on April 30, watched Tuesday as the man charged with his death appeared in B.C. Supreme Court.

NANAIMO — The wife and daughter of Michael Lunn, who was killed in a shooting at the Western Forest Products sawmill in Nanaimo on April 30, watched Tuesday as the man charged with his death appeared in B.C. Supreme Court.

Kevin Douglas Addison, 47, a former employee of the mill, faces two counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder with a firearm.

Mill worker Fred McEachern was also killed in the shooting while two others, Tony Sudar and Earl Kelly, were wounded.

Addison, wearing glasses and sporting a short beard, appeared briefly by video link from the Vancouver Island Regional Correctional Centre in Victoria.

His case was adjourned until Sept. 2.

Outside the courtroom, Marlene Lunn, who was married to Michael Lunn for 44 years, said she continues her work as a spokeswoman for the Red Shirt Foundation, established in her husband’s memory.

Michael Lunn was known for wearing red T-shirts in all weather and it has become a symbol for the foundation, whose mandate is “Moving Pain to Purpose” in tackling issues of workplace violence.

This weekend, Marlene and her daughter Marcy were at the Sunfest Country Music Festival in the Cowichan Valley where they wore red T-shirts with friends and family to spread the word about the foundation.

“There were two rainbows right over the beer gardens after our song came on and we were all crying,” said Marcy.

“When Mike died, and Fred, of course, there was a double rainbow over the mill site. And they were at Sunfest. There was no rain, no nothing, and these two rainbows,” said Marlene. “We knew that they were with us.”

Both women said they would be back for the next court date.

“We know it’s going to be a long process. This is our journey,” Marlene said.