Commemorating the Montreal Massacre and all victims who have suffered from gender violence.
This ritual always took place at noon on December 6, the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women
On Canada’s National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, the Ritual of Re-Membering was held to honour and commemorate all women who have lost their lives to or suffered from gender-based violence. This ritual was created in as a response to the Montreal Massacre, when on December 6th, 1989 a young man, enraged by hatred and a misguided idea of a women’s place in the world, entered L’Ecole Polytechnique and massacred fourteen women students. It was an event that awoke many Canadians to the ongoing reality of violence against women in our society. This commemoration was also an opportunity to acknowledge and support front-line workers (counsellors, shelter workers, social workers, emergency services, women’s advocates, etc.) whose efforts to protect, comfort or find justice for victims are critical in this ongoing struggle. And lastly, we honour those policy makers who serve our communities, our province and our country by applying their effort to transforming the systemic structures that prevent women from living lives of safety and equality. The ritual moves us into grief and sadness and then lifts us out into hope and power for transformation and change.
Posters from Previous Years
