Members of Quebec’s National Assembly honoured Thursday the memory of the 14 women gunned down during the 1989 Montreal Massacre.
One after another, female MNAs spoke each woman’s name, and recalled what they had hoped to become before their lives were cut short.
They observed a moment of silence in memory of the women, killed by gunman who opened fire on them at the Ecole Polytechnique nearly 25 years ago.
Politicians from all parties said it is everyone's duty to denounce violence against women.
“It's a sad anniversary and we will be paying our respect to the victims once again who were innocent victims of the hatred of a man,” said Justice Minister Stephanie Vallee.
And many said Quebec needs to have its own gun registry to do that.
The MNAs spoke out for other women victims of crime -- for the 1,500 Canadian women murdered since 1989 by their spouses or ex-spouses, and the 1,200 aboriginal slain since 1980, the Montreal Massacre must be remembered, they said, to help all women.
“I remember just like everybody else I remember exactly where I was I remember watching it on TV I remember phoning my brother, I remember being in tears,” said Quebec Immigration Minister Kathleen Weil.
Premier Philippe Couillard reiterated his commitment to set up a provincial gun registry.
The registry was dismantled by the federal government in 2012, and Quebec and Ottawa have been in a protracted legal battle over the data Quebec needs to create its registry.
For the victims’ relatives, the commitment to the project, even in a time of austerity, is a sign the loss of their loved ones still weighs heavily on Quebec’s conscience.
