Ceremonies were held in both Charlottetown and Summerside today as Islanders joined to commemorate the anniversary of the Montreal Massacre as part of the National Day of Remembrance.
On December 6, 1989, Canadians were shocked when confronted with the news of one of the most devastating examples of violence against women in Canadian history. On this day, fourteen women were systematically separated from their male peers at L’Ecole Polytechnique in Montreal, and murdered in cold blood.
“December 6 is a day of sadness and remembrance where all Canadians pause to remember the brutal reality of violence against women and commit ourselves as a society to its ultimate elimination. Through initiatives such as the Premier’s Action Committee on Family Violence, we are working as a government and as a community towards this important goal,” said Premier Pat Binns.
National Day of Remembrance ceremonies were held today in Charlottetown at Memorial Hall, Confederation Centre, and in Summerside at St. Paul’s Church, Notre Dame St.
“It’s a sad statistic, but research shows that half of all women will personally experience violence in their lifetime, whether it is in the home, the workplace or the community at large,“ said Transportation and Public Works Minister Gail Shea, Minister Responsible for the Status of Women. “Across this province each and every day dedicated people are working on the front lines of family violence prevention to provide assistance to women and families who reach out for help. We take this day to remember the tragic loss experienced by the families of those women who died and to remember that we must work everyday to ensure that the tragedies of tomorrow can be avoided,” said Shea.