On December 6, 1989, a gunman entered the l’École Polytechnique in Montreal and shot and killed 14 young women studying to be engineers. He singled out the women and shot them because they were women.
Canadians were shaken by this gender-based violence and vigils to remember the 14 murdered women sprang up across the country. In 1991 the Parliament of Canada established Dec. 6 as National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence against Women.
Over the years candlelight vigils have been held on the Sunshine Coast – most recently in Gibsons. This year the Sunshine Coast Labour Council will organize the vigil for 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 6 at the gazebo in Dougall Park, Gibsons.
Donna Thomas has organized the event for many years. “At first it was just a quiet little ad hoc group organized by Jo Cardinall,” Thomas recalled.
As the need became more obvious the group turned to the labour unions for support as they were dealing with issues of workplace violence. The tradition is to bring a wind-proof candle or use one of the ones provided, stand in a circle in the gazebo and call out the names of the women who died. Those who wish to speak will have their chance in a short ceremony.
“We started to hear from the mothers of the murdered women that they wanted to expand the ceremony – not have the vigils be so isolated,” Thomas said. “Now we talk about violence against aboriginal women, domestic violence and workplace violence.”
Afterwards, if participants need it, the Kin Hall will be open to warm up and debrief. All are welcome to attend.
In a statement marking the day, the Canadian Federation of University Women (CFUW) said the organization “commemorates and honours the lives of all who have died from gender-based violence. In 2017, violence against women continues to be a major tragedy, with no significant reduction of the problem.”
The CFUW points out that “the recent social media #METOO trend saw many women sharing stories of sexual harassment and assault, underlining the need for a change of attitude towards women. Being aware of the collective impact of these attitudes and acts is the first step towards transforming our surroundings and confronting this overwhelmingly destructive issue. Violence against women concerns everyone.”
In addition to the Day of Remembrance, Parliament has called for 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, which started on Nov. 25 and ends on Dec. 10, with International Human Rights Day.
