Polytechnique shooting survivor Nathalie Provost receives honorary doctorate
More than 32 years after a gunman motivated by a hatred of feminists opened fire at Ecole polytechnique, killing 14 women and injuring others, Nathalie Provost finally got to attend a convocation.
The gun control advocate and survivor of the 1989 shooting received a standing ovation as she was recognized on Thursday with an honorary doctorate at a ceremony in downtown Montreal.
Provost explained before the ceremony that while she had two previous degrees from the school, traditional graduation ceremonies weren't held back when she was a student, so Thursday's was her first.
Onstage at the ceremony, wearing a cap and gown, she said the tragedy marked her deeply, but also allowed her to learn her own strength and "take the measure of the woman I could become."
She also read the names of the 14 women who died in the tragedy.
In an interview beforehand, Provost said her thoughts would be on how deeply the school has marked her life -- not only by the tragedy but also by the lifelong friends she made and the education she received.
"The adult person I've become is an engineer to the core," she said in a phone interview. "Even if I don't work as a classic engineer, I am one."
Provost said she returned to class less than a month after being shot four times by Marc Lepine in the Dec. 6, 1989, massacre that's widely believed to be Canada's worst mass shooting specifically targeting women. She graduated with an engineering degree a few months later, in May 1990, and would go on to earn a master's degree from the same school.
In retrospect, she said has realized that she felt she had something to prove in returning to class so soon.
"I think it was kind of a way to say to the world and to Marc Lepine, 'You won't stop me,"' she said.
"'You tried, but you won't succeed."'
Provost's honorary doctorate comes at a very different time in her life. Her four children, several of whom were in attendance, are the same age as the young graduates.
At 55, she's had a successful career as a civil servant and has climbed the ranks at her job.
"I'm getting to the age of wisdom, where I can look back at what I've lived," she said.
In a statement, Polytechnique said it wanted to honour Provost because of her life of "remarkable achievements, driven by uncommon determination and social values, (and) for the example of audacity that she embodies for the new generation of engineers in Quebec, in Canada and around the world."
Pierre Baptiste, interim director of academic affairs and student experience, said Provost has remained connected to the school and has always encouraged young engineering students, especially women.
He said that today, 30 per cent of the school's engineering students are female -- a rise he attributes in part to women like Provost who serve as role models to the next generation.
Provost, who became a gun control advocate after the shooting, said she is feeling encouraged by the federal government's new firearms legislation that includes a national freeze on importing, buying, selling or otherwise transferring handguns.
However, she said she feels there's more to do -- on gun control as well as on other issues, including gender discrimination and violence against women.
"Equality between men and women is something we have to keep fighting for," she said.
"It's not a closed case," she said, citing the debate over abortion in the United States as an example.
She said the young female engineers who are graduating will likely face less of an uphill battle professionally than she did, but she said they still face complex challenges. "I don't know if they know how important they are, but they are," she said.
After decades of advocacy, Provost said she hasn't yet felt the need to stop telling her story -- as long as she feels it can help lead to better gun legislation and concrete change.
"When I no longer believe in my contribution, I won't be able to speak up anymore and probably I'll shut up," she said. "But for the moment, I think I can bring something."
- This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 16, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
RCMP uncovers alleged plot by 2 Montreal men to illegally sell drones, equipment to Libya
The RCMP says it has uncovered a plot by two men in Montreal to sell Chinese drones and military equipment to Libya illegally.
Demonstrators kicked out of Ontario legislature for disruption after failed keffiyeh vote
A group of demonstrators were kicked out of the legislature after a second NDP motion calling for unanimous consent to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh failed to pass.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
Government agrees to US$138.7M settlement over FBI's botching of Larry Nassar assault allegations
The U.S. Justice Department announced a US$138.7 million settlement Tuesday with more than 100 people who accused the FBI of grossly mishandling allegations of sexual assault against Larry Nassar in 2015 and 2016, a critical time gap that allowed the sports doctor to continue to prey on victims before his arrest.
Man wanted in connection with deadly shooting in Toronto tops list of most wanted fugitives in Canada
A 35-year-old man wanted in connection with the murder of Toronto resident 29-year-old Sharmar Powell-Flowers nine months ago has topped the list of the BOLO program’s 25 most wanted fugitives across Canada, police announced Tuesday.
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.
Keeping these exotic pets is 'cruel' and 'dangerous,' Canadian animal advocates say
Canadian pet owners are finding companionship beyond dogs and cats. Tigers, alligators, scorpions and tarantulas are among some of the exotic pets they are keeping in private homes, which pose risks to public safety and animal welfare, advocates say.
Thieves use stolen forklift to rip cash machine out of U.K. bank
Police in the U.K. are searching for a group of suspects seen on video using a forklift to steal a cash machine from a bank.
'There was a lot of black smoke': Crane operator sounds alarm while trapped during highrise fire in Halifax
A tower crane operator alerted emergency crews after noticing a fire on a construction site in Halifax Tuesday morning.