Vigil held to remember the Montreal massacre
Posted: December 4, 2015 7:00 p.m.
Student Emily Pasiuk lighting the candles in remembrance of the Montreal massacre victims. Photo by Rae Graham - U of R Photography.
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People came together, lit candles and remembered the victims of the Montreal Massacre.
A vigil was held at the U of R, in memory of the 14 women who were shot dead at École Polytechnique in Montreal on December 6, 1989.
“The Women’s Centre holds a vigil every year to mark the anniversary,” says Jill Arnott, a lecturer at the Women’s and Gender Studies Department. “We also reflect on violence against women generally, where we have come from, the progress we have made and what still remains to be done.”
The ceremony, held at the Riddell Centre, also featured a table with a candle next to a picture of each of the women killed in Montreal. The candlelit ceremony which included a moment of silence, was followed by a march through the campus.
“Violence against women is still a very real problem in our communities, both locally and globally. In part, we gather to renew our commitment to addressing this social issue that profoundly affects all of us - women, men and children,” says Arnott, who has discussions with her students about the tragedy.
“Many students were not born when this happened. A lot of students on campus have no idea about what happened. So, we talk about this in our women’s and gender studies class. Conversations in class and an event like this keeps it on the radar for people and keeps people thinking about these things.”