Dec. 6, 1989 – Because they were women

 

Fourteen young women were murdered, and thirteen other people wounded on December 6, 1989. A man entered a classroom at Montreal’s École Polytechnique armed with a semi-automatic weapon; separated nine women from the fifty men in a classroom, opened fire on the women, screaming “J’haïs les féministes”. Six died, and three were wounded in that room. He left that room and walked the halls and classrooms – killing and wounding more until he committed suicide.

In the end, fourteen women were dead, twelve engineering students, one nursing student, and one employee of the university. Fourteen others were injured: ten women and four men.

We remember:

• Geneviève Bergeron (born 1968), civil engineering student
• Hélène Colgan (born 1966), mechanical engineering student
• Nathalie Croteau (born 1966), mechanical engineering student
• Barbara Daigneault (born 1967), mechanical engineering student
• Anne-Marie Edward (born 1968), chemical engineering student
• Maud Haviernick (born 1960), materials engineering student
• Maryse Laganière (born 1964), budget clerk in the École Polytechnique’s finance department
• Maryse Leclair (born 1966), materials engineering student
• Anne-Marie Lemay (born 1967), mechanical engineering student
• Sonia Pelletier (born 1961), mechanical engineering student
• Michèle Richard (born 1968), materials engineering student
• Annie St-Arneault (born 1966), mechanical engineering student
• Annie Turcotte (born 1969), materials engineering student
• Barbara Klucznik-Widajewicz (born 1958), nursing student

There was no public inquiry.

The work of Heidi Rathjen (a student who was in one of the classrooms Lépine did not enter during the shooting) and Wendy Cukier, with Suzanne Laplante-Edward and Jim Edward, Ann-Marie’s parents organized the Coalition for Gun Control. This led to the passage of Bill C-17 in 1992, and C-68 in 1995, ushering in stricter gun control regulations.

Finally in 2019 – thirty years later, came the recognition that this was an anti-feminist attack. A new plaque at Place du 6-décembre-1989 was unveiled identifying the event as an act of violence against women.

In 1991, the Parliament of Canada declared December 6 to be a National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. It is also known as White Ribbon Day.

Violence against women continues…