December 6 is the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. It was established by the Canadian parliament in 1991, marking the anniversary of the 1989 murders of 14 young women in the engineering department at l’École Polytechnique de Montréal, who were killed because they were women.

The women killed in this brutal act were Geneviève Bergeron, Hélène Colgan, Nathalie Croteau, Barbara Daigneault, Anne-Marie Edward, Maud Haviernick, Barbara Klucznik-Widajewicz, Maryse Laganière, Maryse Leclair, Anne-Marie Lemay, Sonia Pelletier, Michèle Richard, Annie St-Arneault and Annie Turcotte.

Now, thirty three years after the tragedy, many of the commemorations honour all those whose lives were taken each year through gender-based violence and commit to take action to end it. Ceremonies take place in engineering departments on many university campuses and in schools. In marking this day the ongoing killings of Indigenous women and girls is front of mind, all the more so this year with the recent news of the murders, since March, of four Indigenous women in Winnipeg.

All events take place on December 6.

Saint John

Memorial Service and Walk
7:00 pm
University of New Brunswick, Ganong Hall Lecture Theatre

Sydney

Vigil
7:00 pm
21 Trinity Ave
Vigil will be live streamed by Every Woman’s Centre on Facebook

Montreal

Commemorative Event
12:00 pm
December 6 1989 Place, Queen Mary Road, Montreal
Organized by 12 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence Ctte

Live Broadcast
Light Beam Ceremony from Mount Royal
5:00 pm
Ceremony takes place at the Mount Royal chalet Belvedere Kondiaronk
livestreamed on Facebook

Ottawa

Vigil
6:00 pm
Minto Park (Elgin and Gilmour)

Oshawa

Candlelight vigil
6:30 pm
Unifor Local 222 Union Hall, 1452 Phillip Murray Ave

Toronto

Women Won’t Forget – Day of Remembrance
6:00 pm
Philosopher’s Walk
(Between the Royal Ontario Museum and the Royal Conservatory of Music,
south side of Bloor, West of Avenue Rd)
Bring a rose and candle

Toronto

Musical Performance, Panel Discussion and Memorial
12:30-2:15 pm
In Person and Virtual
Great Hall, Hart House, University of Toronto
livestreamed on Youtube

Brampton

Memorial walk followed by gathering and light refreshments
6:00 pm
City Hall, 2 Wellington St W
Organized by Unifor Local 1285 Women’s Committee

St. Catharines

Candlelight Vigil and gathering
7:00-8:30 pm
Local 199 Union Hall, 124 Bunting Rd

Sault Ste Marie

Candlelight Vigil and gathering
12:00 — 1:00 pm
The Art Gallery of Algoma, 10 East St
to register click here

Kelowna

Memorial Ceremony – Not Forgotten and unveiling of memorial
3:30-5:00 pm
Okanagan Campus of UBC, Richard S. Hallisey Atrium

Salmon Arm

Candlelight vigil
4:45 pm
Meet in the cafeteria, Okanagan college

Vancouver

Community Gathering
Launch of Community-Based Research Report
Colour of Violence: Race, Gender & Anti-Violence Services
6:00-8:00 pm
312 Main St.
To register click here

Surrey

Candlelight Vigil
6:00-7:00 pm
Holland Park, 13428 Old Yale Rd
To register Facebook

Victoria

Candlelight vigil
5:00 pm
Holland Point Park
Organized by Public Service Alliance of Canada Regional Women’s Committee