(Montreal) More than 32 years after a man, motivated by hatred of feminists, opened fire at the École polytechnique, killing 14 women and injuring others, in 1989, Nathalie Provost finally attended her Convocation.
Updated yesterday at 7:31 p.m.
The survivor of this feminicide, who later became a tireless activist for gun control, received an honorary doctorate from her alma mater on Thursday at a ceremony in Montreal.
Although she has already obtained two degrees from “Poly”, Mme Provost explained before the event that there were no traditional graduation ceremonies when she was a student – there was an engineering “ring ceremony”. It was therefore his first, Thursday.
Onstage at the ceremony, wearing the toga and mortarboard, she said the tragedy had left a deep impression on her, but also allowed her to learn her own strength and “take the measure of the woman I could become “.
She also read the names of the 14 women who died in the tragedy.
In an interview before the ceremony, she said she would reflect on the strong mark the school left on her life – not only through the terrible tragedy of 1989, but also through the friends she made. for life, and the education she received there.
“The adult person I’ve become is an engineer at heart, at heart,” she said in a phone interview. Even though I don’t practice classical engineering today, I have an engineer’s mind – and I’m not even a member of The Order. »
Mme Provost said she returned to class less than a month after being hit by four bullets in the Dec. 6, 1989, shooting, which is widely considered Canada’s worst mass shooting specifically targeting women.
She got her bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering a few months later, in May 1990, and she went on to earn a master’s degree in industrial engineering from the same school in 1993.
Looking back, she feels that by deciding to return to class so soon after the tragedy, she felt she had something to prove. “I think it was kind of a way of saying to the world and to Marc Lépine, ‘You won’t stop me. You have tried, but you will not succeed.” »
The honorary doctorate given to Mr.me Provost comes at a very different time in his life. His four children, several of whom were present on Thursday, are the same age as some current young graduates. At 55, she had a successful career as a civil servant and rose through the ranks. “I’m coming to the age of wisdom, where I stand back from what I’m going through,” she said.
PolySeSouvient
In a press release, Polytechnique said it wanted to honor this woman who “is an essential spokesperson and an activist committed to the issue of gun control in Canada, particularly through the organization PolySeSouvient”.
Pierre Baptiste, Acting Director of Academic Affairs and Student Experience, pointed out that Nathalie Provost has remained involved at Polytechnique Montréal and has always encouraged young people in engineering, especially women.
He said that today, 30% of the school’s engineering students are women – an increase he attributes in part to women like Nathalie Provost who serve as role models for the next generation.
Mme Provost, who effectively became a fierce gun control activist after the killings, said she felt encouraged by the new federal gun bill, which includes a freeze on importation, the purchase, sale or transfer of handguns in Canada. An imperfect but perfectible bill, she says, a task she has every intention of tackling.
“The engineer in me would tell you that it’s much heavier to fight the force of inertia than to create movement and to be in the kinetic force. »
She believes there is still a lot to be done – on gun control, but also on other issues, including gender discrimination and gender-based violence. “Equality between men and women is something we must continue to fight for. It’s not a closed cause,” she says, citing the abortion debate in the United States, for example.
Nathalie Provost believes that young female engineers graduating this year will likely face fewer professional challenges than her, but will also face complex challenges. “Every generation has its challenges, but I think the generation that is growing up right now has huge challenges,” she believes.
After decades of activism, Mr.me Provost doesn’t feel the need to stop telling his story just yet — as long as his testimony can contribute to better gun laws and real change.
“When I don’t believe in my contribution, I won’t be able to speak up and I’ll probably shut up,” she says. But for now, I think I can contribute something to my life and to my world at large. »