Today marks the 32nd anniversary of the Montreal Massacre.
On December 6, 1989, a man armed with a gun entered a mechanical engineering class at École Polytechnique, where he separated the male and female students, before opening fire on the women, killing 14 and injuring 13 others, before turning the gun on himself.
This act of violent misogyny shook our country and led Parliament to designate December 6 as The National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.
On December 6, we remember:
- Geneviève Bergeron
- Hélène Colgan
- Nathalie Croteau
- Barbara Daigneault
- Anne-Marie Edward
- Maud Haviernick
- Maryse Laganière
- Maryse Leclair
- Anne-Marie Lemay
- Sonia Pelletier
- Michèle Richard
- Annie St-Arneault
- Annie Turcotte
- Barbara Klucznik-Widajewicz
As we mourn their loss and remember their lives , we reaffirm our commitment to fight the hatred that led to this tragedy, and the misogyny that still exists today. In Canada and around the world, women, girls, 2SLGBTQQIA+ (two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, asexual, plus) and gender diverse individuals face unacceptable violence and discrimination. Gender-based violence in Canada has been magnified and amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic. There have been reports from police services, shelters, and local organization of an increase in calls related to gender-based violence across Canada during the pandemic.
The National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women is about remembering those who have experienced gender-based violence and those who we have lost to it.
On the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence against Women, we #RememberThe14 young women who were senselessly murdered and 13 others who were injured during the École Polytechnique massacre, and reflect on what we can all do to #EndGBV: https://t.co/b66qDETTTq
— CanadianPM (@CanadianPM) December 6, 2021
