Remembering the sixth
On December 6, 1989, 14 women were gunned down because of their gender.
When 25-year-old Marc Lépine entered into a classroom at the engineering school, École Polytechnique in Montreal, he already had a target in mind: women. He divided the class between the men and the women, then proceeded to shoot all nine women in the class, killing six. After, he moved through the school, continuing to focus on women and killing 14 total before turning the gun on himself.
History has interpreted the attack as an act of anti-feminism as the shooter blamed feminists for ruining his life in his suicide note.
The anniversary of what has come to be known as the Montreal Massacre now commemorates the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.
The 14 women who are remembered on this day are Geneviève Bergeron, Nathalie Croteau, Anne-Marie Edward, Maryse Laganière, Hélène Colgan, Barbara Daigneault, Maud Haviernick, Maryse Leclair. Anne-Marie Lemay, Sonia Pelletier, Michèle Richard, Annie St-Arneault, Annie Turcotte and Barbara Klucznik.
Fanshawe College is holding its own memorial ceremony on December 6. A violence prevention group, with representation from faculty and students, Counselling and Accessibility Services, Campus Security and the Fanshawe Student Union has brought back the ceremony after the last one took place in 2002.
"(We've had) less time to do (the ceremony) over the years, but now we've pulled together and we have renewed energy and new people," said Candice Lawrence, a counsellor with Counselling and Accessibility Services. "The group we have going is great."
Lawrence was working as an instructor at Fanshawe when the attack happened, and women who were in engineering programs on campus at the time were deeply rattled by the event, she said. "They were really questioning their choice (of program)."
"We recognize this is one man, but he was a flashpoint for women dealing with harassment in the first place," she said, referring to how women were starting to break into a traditionally masuline field.
In the 1980s, about two to three per cent of engineering classes involved women said Lawrence. Now, half of formerly male-dominated programs, such as medicine and law, are women.
While one event may have unfairly ended the lives of 14 women, it hasn't prevented the bright futures of others and instead will forever serve as a reminder that violence against women will not be tolerated.
Fanshawe's commemorative service will begin at noon on Monday, December 6 in Alumni Lounge, above the Oasis.
Speakers for the ceremony include Fanshawe College student Catherine Kedziora, whose mother Theresa Vince was murdered as a result of workplace sexual violence in 1996, speakers from the Sexual Assault Centre as well as Joy Lang who, like Kedziora, was instrumental in bringing about the success of Bill 168, which amended the Occupational Health and Safety Act to include protections for workers against violence and harassment.
When 25-year-old Marc Lépine entered into a classroom at the engineering school, École Polytechnique in Montreal, he already had a target in mind: women. He divided the class between the men and the women, then proceeded to shoot all nine women in the class, killing six. After, he moved through the school, continuing to focus on women and killing 14 total before turning the gun on himself.
History has interpreted the attack as an act of anti-feminism as the shooter blamed feminists for ruining his life in his suicide note.
The anniversary of what has come to be known as the Montreal Massacre now commemorates the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.
The 14 women who are remembered on this day are Geneviève Bergeron, Nathalie Croteau, Anne-Marie Edward, Maryse Laganière, Hélène Colgan, Barbara Daigneault, Maud Haviernick, Maryse Leclair. Anne-Marie Lemay, Sonia Pelletier, Michèle Richard, Annie St-Arneault, Annie Turcotte and Barbara Klucznik.
Fanshawe College is holding its own memorial ceremony on December 6. A violence prevention group, with representation from faculty and students, Counselling and Accessibility Services, Campus Security and the Fanshawe Student Union has brought back the ceremony after the last one took place in 2002.
"(We've had) less time to do (the ceremony) over the years, but now we've pulled together and we have renewed energy and new people," said Candice Lawrence, a counsellor with Counselling and Accessibility Services. "The group we have going is great."
Lawrence was working as an instructor at Fanshawe when the attack happened, and women who were in engineering programs on campus at the time were deeply rattled by the event, she said. "They were really questioning their choice (of program)."
"We recognize this is one man, but he was a flashpoint for women dealing with harassment in the first place," she said, referring to how women were starting to break into a traditionally masuline field.
In the 1980s, about two to three per cent of engineering classes involved women said Lawrence. Now, half of formerly male-dominated programs, such as medicine and law, are women.
While one event may have unfairly ended the lives of 14 women, it hasn't prevented the bright futures of others and instead will forever serve as a reminder that violence against women will not be tolerated.
Fanshawe's commemorative service will begin at noon on Monday, December 6 in Alumni Lounge, above the Oasis.
Speakers for the ceremony include Fanshawe College student Catherine Kedziora, whose mother Theresa Vince was murdered as a result of workplace sexual violence in 1996, speakers from the Sexual Assault Centre as well as Joy Lang who, like Kedziora, was instrumental in bringing about the success of Bill 168, which amended the Occupational Health and Safety Act to include protections for workers against violence and harassment.
