A tragic day in Montreal 30 years ago today will be memorialized across the country.
On December 6, 1989, an armed man murdered 14 women and injured 13 others at École Polytechnique de Montréal.
Their deaths sparked a nationwide movement condemning violence against women. In 1991, the Parliament of Canada declared a National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.
Universite de Moncton is one of 14 facilities across the country chosen to project a beam of light into the sky, each one representing a victim.
Acting Dean in the Engineering Faculty Gabriel Cormier says this is their way to pay tribute.
“A way for us to look forward. So, we’re remembering, not to forget, as reminder there are still improvements to do, but we also need to look forward and remember what women Engineering students have done since 1989,” he said.
Several memorial activities are planned, including a silent walk, unveiling of a memorial site, and a commemorative ceremony, which begin at 5:45.
Flags will fly at half staff on all of the campuses.
Cormier says there have been some very successful women Engineers since then. Today they mourn the past, they celebrate the future.
“In Moncton, the student population is now 25 per cent women approximately, compared that to 15 years ago, it was around 11,” Cormier says.
The National Council of Deans of Engineering has just released a website with 30 profiles of women Engineers in Canada and their accomplishments since that time.
