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The Seventh Shot: On the Trail of Canada's .22-Calibre Killer
Drawing on faded archival copies, hours of interviews and first-hand accounts, Ann Burke follows the life of Ronald Glen West, once referred to as 'Canada's .22-Calibre Killer’.
163 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 22, 2020
4 people want to read
About the author
Ann Burke
2 books2 followersAfter three years of research, interviews and putting pen to paper, I am about to launch my first book. I am admittedly well into the part of my life termed ‘retirement’, but the call to document the shocking crimes, the interminable wait for justice spanning nearly thirty years, and the actions of those who were to finally reveal the identity of the ‘ghost’ was compelling.
My life’s work has been divided largely between social services and journalism. During the 1980s, I worked for the Walden Observer, a Sudbury-area newspaper where I not only sold advertising and did the layout, but also covered local council meetings, did interviews, editorials, composed fishing and gardening columns – and loved every minute of it. The highlights of my time at the Observer were covering part of Rick Hansen’s cross-Canada ‘Man in Motion’ tour and a memorable rickety elevator ride to the bowels of the Creighton Mine.
At the same time, I was working part-time for the Sudbury Star, covering everything from children’s performers to local upcoming musicians. I found time to indulge myself in writing the first of my comedic short plays – this was to receive honourable mention in a Sudbury playwriting contest.
By the 1990s I was to return to the Dufferin County area of my teens. I still freelanced for local papers, as well as the Toronto Star, but also took on the full-time job of coordinating a rural community centre where the direction of my life would take a decidedly different turn.
The Highlands Rural Learning Centre was located in the the little hamlet of Honeywood, sitting high atop the Niagara Escarpment in picturesque Mulmur and occupying an old red brick school house. Our services were directed to a large number of relatively isolated seniors, as well as children, many of whom were latch-key kids as their parents commuted to larger centres during the day.
It would be here in this bucolic setting that a horrific attempted murder would alter the course of a number of lives, including mine. It would also account for my acute discomfort around sharp knives thereafter. I will save the details for a blog post, as the circumstances played no small part in the decision to write my first book.
Moving forward, my work became social services-oriented, beginning with a number of years as a counsellor in a Women & Children’s Shelter. I would also see the local production of my first play and go on to write a second farce.
Prior to retirement, I worked in Victim Services and coordinated a Homeless Drop-In Centre in Barrie, Ontario. It was here that – as a member of the Alliance to End Homelessness – I had an opportunity to meet with then-Prime Minister Paul Martin in an effort to draw attention to the huge number of homeless in need of mental health support. I would spend my last years in the public workplace promoting tobacco cessation with the Canadian Cancer Society.
So, why the book?
In the late 1990s, an old school friend would ask me: “Do you remember that kid Ron West? He was in our Grade 12 class and went on to be a cop. Well, he’s been charged with murdering two nurses back in the 70s!” I had dim memories of a shy kid who had difficulty with eye contact and I would soon forget about the friend’s revelation.
Fast forward to 2015: I had time on my hands and the old urge to write again. Why not check out what I could find out in regards to the Ronald Glen West case? I was about to commence on one of the most enlightening, surprising and fascinating journeys of my life.
My life’s work has been divided largely between social services and journalism. During the 1980s, I worked for the Walden Observer, a Sudbury-area newspaper where I not only sold advertising and did the layout, but also covered local council meetings, did interviews, editorials, composed fishing and gardening columns – and loved every minute of it. The highlights of my time at the Observer were covering part of Rick Hansen’s cross-Canada ‘Man in Motion’ tour and a memorable rickety elevator ride to the bowels of the Creighton Mine.
At the same time, I was working part-time for the Sudbury Star, covering everything from children’s performers to local upcoming musicians. I found time to indulge myself in writing the first of my comedic short plays – this was to receive honourable mention in a Sudbury playwriting contest.
By the 1990s I was to return to the Dufferin County area of my teens. I still freelanced for local papers, as well as the Toronto Star, but also took on the full-time job of coordinating a rural community centre where the direction of my life would take a decidedly different turn.
The Highlands Rural Learning Centre was located in the the little hamlet of Honeywood, sitting high atop the Niagara Escarpment in picturesque Mulmur and occupying an old red brick school house. Our services were directed to a large number of relatively isolated seniors, as well as children, many of whom were latch-key kids as their parents commuted to larger centres during the day.
It would be here in this bucolic setting that a horrific attempted murder would alter the course of a number of lives, including mine. It would also account for my acute discomfort around sharp knives thereafter. I will save the details for a blog post, as the circumstances played no small part in the decision to write my first book.
Moving forward, my work became social services-oriented, beginning with a number of years as a counsellor in a Women & Children’s Shelter. I would also see the local production of my first play and go on to write a second farce.
Prior to retirement, I worked in Victim Services and coordinated a Homeless Drop-In Centre in Barrie, Ontario. It was here that – as a member of the Alliance to End Homelessness – I had an opportunity to meet with then-Prime Minister Paul Martin in an effort to draw attention to the huge number of homeless in need of mental health support. I would spend my last years in the public workplace promoting tobacco cessation with the Canadian Cancer Society.
So, why the book?
In the late 1990s, an old school friend would ask me: “Do you remember that kid Ron West? He was in our Grade 12 class and went on to be a cop. Well, he’s been charged with murdering two nurses back in the 70s!” I had dim memories of a shy kid who had difficulty with eye contact and I would soon forget about the friend’s revelation.
Fast forward to 2015: I had time on my hands and the old urge to write again. Why not check out what I could find out in regards to the Ronald Glen West case? I was about to commence on one of the most enlightening, surprising and fascinating journeys of my life.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
June 19, 2023
This was a well-research, sensitively-presented read about some horrific murders in Ontario. Two cold cases was were solved due to new techniques in policing, especially in DNA evidence. There is a hint that there could be a second volume which would also be an interesting read.
May 6, 2021
Enjoyed the history and relevance to the area
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews