Montreal holds tribute to 14 women killed in Polytechnique shooting
People gathered on a wet and gloomy Tuesday to commemorate the 14 women killed during the École Polytechnique shooting 33 years ago.
During the sombre memorial service, the names of the victims were read aloud inside the Mount-Royal chalet as survivors, families of the victims and politicians looked on.
At 5:10 p.m., the same time when the first shots were fired in 1989, survivors and dignitaries laid white roses on a podium while 14 beams of light illuminated the sky above the city.
On Dec. 6, 1989, a man motivated by a hatred of feminists shot and killed 14 women and injured 13 other people at the Montreal engineering school.
“We are here again as we are every year, gathered to remember the 14 young women — 14 brilliant young women — who were killed simply because they were women,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said just after the ceremony.
“And 33 years ago may seem like a long time, but for some of us, it feels like yesterday. The fact that we are still crying over murdered women in Winnipeg and across the country in the news these days means that we have so much more work to do to fight against gender-based violence.”
A plaque for the victims of the Polytechnique shooting in 1989 that killed 14 women. (Jonah Aspler/CTV News)
Mayor Valérie Plante said that it was very important for the City of Montreal to keep organizing and commemorating the vigil.
She said there is much work to be done to better protect girls and women and ensure that the city’s citizens are safe.
“There’s a lot of citizens that are here tonight because we need to be together so we can remember what happened.”
A wreath-laying ceremony was held Tuesday morning to mark the anniversary.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Outremont MP Rachel Bendayan lay single white roses to commemorate the victims on the 33rd anniversary of the Ecole Polytechnique mass shooting in Montreal, on Tuesday, December 6, 2022. On Dec. 6, 1989, a man motivated by a hatred of feminists shot and killed 14 female students and injured 13 other people at the Montreal engineering school. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Peter McCabe
Under a biting wind, white rose wreaths were laid at a commemorative plaque near the student entrance of the building as a few dozen students and staff gathered. All wore white ribbons to raise awareness about violence against women and girls.
“It’s important to remember ... and it’s important to fight against violence against women just because they are women,” said Maud Cohen, president of École Polytechnique.
“It’s a really important moment, every Dec. 6, to have that time to remember who they were, why everything happened and why we need to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
The women killed in the anti-feminist attack were Genevieve Bergeron, Helene Colgan, Nathalie Croteau, Barbara Daigneault, Anne-Marie Edward, Maud Haviernick, Barbara Klucznik-Widajewicz, Maryse Laganiere, Maryse Leclair, Anne-Marie Lemay, Sonia Pelletier, Michele Richard, Annie St-Arneault and Annie Turcotte.
The morning ceremony is held annually, and members of the university community passed by the plaque to pay their respects — an important exercise for many on this day.
- LISTEN ON CJAD 800: Polytechnique survivor who was shot 4 times speaks to CJAD 800
Émilie Thibault, a doctoral student in chemical engineering who laid one of the wreaths, said it was important to be present for the families of the 14 women.
“To show that we are here … to remember what happened and to make sure that we never forget it,” Thibault said. “And to prove that we are resilient and we never want an event like this to happen again.”
For Cohen, it’s also about remembering who the victims were.
“Today is a moment where we need to think about these young ladies who lost their lives back in 1989, but it’s also about remembering who they were and the dreams that they had,” Cohen said.
Earlier in the day, in Ottawa, Trudeau spoke about the importance of remembering the tragedy during his opening remarks at a meeting of municipal officials from across Canada.
“Today, as a Montrealer, I must mention Dec. 6,” he said. “At the time, I was in high school when it happened, just a few blocks away from École Polytechnique. I still remember, and I always will. We must take a moment to remember that violence against women continues. And with the pandemic, we saw an increase in violence and mental health issues.”
The anniversary of the mass shooting was proclaimed National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women in 1991.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 6, 2022, with the financial assistance of the Meta and Canadian Press News Fellowship.
-With files from Lee Berthiaume in Ottawa
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'He's in our hearts': Family and friends still seek answers one year after Nathan Wise’s disappearance
It’s been a year since Nathan Wise went missing and his family is no closer to finding out what happened to him.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
Wildfire near Fort McMurray more than triples overnight, several evacuation alerts remain in place
The fire burning near Fort McMurray grew from 25 hectares to 5,500 hectares over the weekend.
Putin replaces Russian defence minister in rare cabinet shakeup
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin began a Cabinet shakeup on Sunday, proposing the replacement of Sergei Shoigu as defence minister as he begins his fifth term in office.
Man fatally 'slashed in the neck' in downtown Toronto, suspect outstanding
Police are searching for a male suspect after a man was “slashed in neck” on Sunday morning in downtown Toronto and died.
WATCH Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Edibles, armchairs and adapters: Here are the recalls for this week
Health Canada announced various product recalls this week, including electric adapters, armchairs, cannabis edibles and vehicle components.