Message for National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women – December 6, 2022
On the afternoon of December 6, 1989, 14 women were murdered at École Polytechnique, an engineering school affiliated with the Université de Montréal. These victims were targeted and killed for one reason: their gender.
In 1991, the Parliament of Canada established the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women to ensure the events of December 6 are never forgotten.
Today, Canadians band together to remember this misogynistic act of hatred that shook the nation 33 years ago. HWDSB joins Government of Ontario buildings and establishments across the province by flying flags at half-mast from sunrise to sunset at all schools and buildings.
The National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women is a chance to reflect on horrors of the past while charting a path towards a better future.
Women experience harassment, bullying, and assault every single day. One in three women experience physical or sexual violence, often at the hands of someone they know. Some populations are even more likely to experience violence, including young women (15-34 years), Indigenous women, Black and racialized women, women with disabilities, transgender women, and the Two-Spirit and LGBTQIA+ communities.
A world without gender-based violence is a better world for us all. Women should never feel targeted as a result of their gender. They should feel safe on the sidewalk, at the store, and especially, learning at school.
Let us consider what we can do – on our own and with others – to end violence against women now and forever.
Please join us in remembering the 14 victims.
Geneviève Bergeron, civil engineering student
Hélène Colgan, mechanical engineering student
Nathalie Croteau, mechanical engineering student
Barbara Daigneault, mechanical engineering student
Anne-Marie Edward, chemical engineering student
Maud Haviernick, materials engineering student
Barbara Klucznik-Widajewicz, nursing student
Maryse Laganière, budget clerk
Maryse Leclair, materials engineering student
Anne-Marie Lemay, mechanical engineering student
Sonia Pelletier, mechanical engineering student
Michèle Richard, materials engineering student
Annie St-Arneault, mechanical engineering student
Annie Turcotte, materials engineering student
Sincerely,
Paul Denomme
Superintendent, Equity and Safe Schools
Resources
- Sexual Assault Centre of Hamilton and Area (SACHA)
- YWCA Hamilton – Emergency Resources
- Women Abuse Working Group – Community Resources
Updated on Tuesday, December 06, 2022.