It’s been 25 years since the massacre at École Polytechnique in Montreal and we still don’t know the full extent of violence against women in Canada.
On December 6, 1989, Marc Lapine killed 14 women and injured 14 other people (including three men) before killing himself at École Polytechnique in Montreal.
His reason for the killings was made clear in notes found on his body by investigators.
These lives were taken for one simple reason; because they were women.
To honour the memory of those who died in what has become known as the Montreal Massacre and to bring awareness to the issue of violence against women, the Timmins and Area Women in Crisis Centre, the Centre Passerelle pour femmes and the Tranquility House centre in Matheson came together as the Tri-Agency Collaboration to host a vigil for the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women at Timmins City Hall this past Thursday night.
In light of the recent publicity surrounding a number of high profile sexual harassment and assault cases, including Jian Gomeshi, the issues affecting females in Parliament and the two officers of the Timmins Police Service who have been charged locally with sexual assault and domestic violence related offences respectively, one must ask how the situation has improved for women over the last quarter of a century.
“The statistics are really hard to grasp,” says Julie DeMarchi, executive director at Timmins and Area Women in Crisis centre. “We only know what’s being reported, so those numbers aren’t completely reflective of what’s completely happening in society.”
“It’s not only about the domestic violence, sexual assaults and homicide, which is where it ends up, but it begins with the sexist comments and the sexist attitudes that are just not well portrayed and laughed at,” said DeMarchi.
The Tri-Agency Collaboration hosts events such as this vigil four to five times each year with the intent to bring awareness and provide education on these issues with the hope of correcting the foundational behaviours which will hopefully prevent the gravest of outcomes.
“We do events like this to bring the issue of violence against women to the fore front and help people understand it a little bit better because you can’t fix an issue unless you understand it,” said DeMarchi.
With such a significant under-reporting of incidents clouding the true extend of the problem of violence against women, anyone who has suffered as a victim is asked to contact the member organizations of the Tri-Agency Collaboration or either of the locally available sexual assault hotlines.
Help is available.
The Assaulted Women’s Helpline is a 24 hour Crisis Line that can be reached at (705) 268-8380 or toll free at (877) 268-8380.
Photo: The Tri-Agency Collaboration hosted a vigil for the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women at Timmins City Hall this past Thursday night. Dave Kramer/TimminsToday
