Fourteen jets of light illuminated the Montreal sky on Monday evening, in memory of the 14 women murdered 32 years ago at the École Polytechnique.
One by one, the light beams lit up the sky above Mount Royal as the names of each of the 14 victims of the tragedy were spoken.
The ceremony brought together the families and relatives of the victims, as well as political and public figures.
Present at the ceremony on the Kondiaronk belvedere on Mount Royal, the mayoress of Montreal, Valérie Plante, and the premier of Quebec, François Legault, reminded that for too many women, violence continues to be part of everyday life.
“Unfortunately, there was still violence against women and we must continue to fight. […] We have come a long way, but there is still work to be done, ”said Mr. Legault. Since the start of 2021, 18 suspected feminicides have occurred in the province.
The mayoress of Montreal said she was happy to be present at the ceremony “to think of these young women who were coldly killed because they were women.” To mark the anniversary of the tragedy, the flags of the City of Montreal were half-masted.
PHOTO FRANÇOIS ROY, THE PRESS
In the photo, the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, the Mayor of Montreal, Valérie Plante, Nathalie Provost, sister of a victim of the Polytechnique massacre and the Premier of Quebec, François Legault.
The commemoration is organized annually by the Memory committee, in collaboration with the City of Montreal and the École polytechnique. The public could follow the commemoration live on the various accounts of Polytechnique Montréal’s social networks.
On Monday evening, the Samuel-De Champlain Bridge was also covered in white and dark purple in memory of the victims and to support the national appeal against violence against women.
“We still have a lot to do”
Meanwhile, the Governor General of Canada, Mary Simon, said that Canada, “from coast to coast to coast, [porte] still the scars of the tragic event that occurred on December 6, 1989 at Polytechnique Montreal. ”
At the start of the evening of December 6, 1989, 13 students and an employee of the École Polytechnique saw their lives cut short by a gunman, because they were women who were studying or working in a field traditionally reserved for men.
“Even though significant awareness, prevention and intervention efforts to counter gender violence are in place across the country, we unfortunately see that the pandemic has exacerbated the plight of victims and increased their number. It is a sign that together, we still have a lot to do, ”concluded the Governor in a press release.