Content note: the following communication discusses mass shootings and gender-based violence.
Dear King’s community,
Today, King’s is commemorating the 35th anniversary of the École Polytechnique massacre in Montréal, Québec.
On this day in 1989, 14 women, all staff and students of the institution, were killed by a mass shooter with an anti-feminist agenda who targeted them as they studied, attended lectures and walked through the halls of their university.
Those of us who remember that day still carry the shock and sorrow of this tragic act of violence. Until it was surpassed by the Portapique attacks here in Nova Scotia in 2020—also rooted in gender-based violence—the École Polytechnique massacre was the largest mass shooting in Canadian history. That’s why December 6th is designated in Canada as the National Day for Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.
Flags on the King’s Flagstaff will fly at half-mast today, and there will be a memorial space in the A&A front hall created by King’s Sexual Health and Safety Officer Jordan Roberts to share the stories of the 14 victims of the massacre—Geneviève Bergeron, Hélène Colgan, Nathalie Croteau, Barbara Daigneault, Anne-Marie Edward, Maud Haviernick, Maryse Laganière, Maryse Leclair, Anne-Marie Lemay, Sonia Pelletier, Michèle Richard, Annie St-Arneault, Annie Turcotte and Barbara Klucznik-Widajewicz. You can also read about these women here and learn more about the significance of this day.
The Dalhousie Women in Engineering Society is hosting a Remembrance and Resilience ceremony at 5 p.m. on the Sexton Campus. Anyone who would like to attend can meet up with a group travelling together by bus from King’s. The group is meeting on the steps of the A&A building at 4:15 p.m. and bus tickets will be available.
As a university, King’s has a responsibility to commemorate the 14 women who lost their lives in a place of learning. This is also a time for everyone to consider the widespread impact of gender-based violence in our community and reflect on how we can all help prevent it. In September of this year, the Government of Nova Scotia passed Bill No. 482, which declares gender-based, intimate partner and family violence to be an epidemic.
If you are experiencing the effects of gender-based violence or have questions about it, please reach out to Sexual Health and Safety Officer Jordan Roberts, who can help you access resources at King’s and in the broader community. Everyone deserves a safe place here at King’s—and everywhere in our community.
Sincerely,
Bill, Sarah and Jordan
William Lahey
President and Vice-Chancellor
Sarah Clift
Vice-President
Jordan Roberts
Sexual Health & Safety Officer
