Polytechnique, Montreal Plans Tributes for 14 Women Killed in 1989
The 14 women who were killed 34 years ago in 1989 will again be remembered on December 6th at Polytechnique Montréal. Until sunset, the flags flying outside the main building of Polytechnique will be flown at half-mast.
The Polytechnique memorial plaque will be laid with white rose wreaths by representatives of the school and student unions. The plaque is situated close to the student entrance, and the public is also welcome to pay their respects there.
At the Université de Montréal, white ribbons will be handed out, and the central tower of the Roger-Gaudry building will be lit up as a memorial.
At the same time, in the tunnel that connects the main and Lassonde pavilions, the Polytechnique Student Association and PolyPhoto will hold an exhibition honouring the fourteen victims of the massacre.
The sky over Mount Royal will be illuminated by fourteen beams around 5:10 p.m., precisely the same time when the first bullets would be fired. They will be lit one at a time as the names of the 14 victims are called out.
Polytechnique Montréal's official social media pages will be live-streaming the event.
Place du 6-Décembre is a park that was named after the fourteen ladies who were killed there; the public is also welcome to pay their condolences there.
The park, which denounces all types of violence against women and serves as a reminder of the basic principles of respect, is located on the junction of Decelles Street and Queen-Mary Road. It features a work entitled "Nef pour quatorze reines."
A vigil in honour of the victims is scheduled to begin at 4:45 p.m., and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to attend as well.
Among the 14 ladies killed, 12 were engineering students ranging in age from 20 to 29. A 31-year-old nursing student and a 25-year-old finance employee were among the other casualties.
The victims are Geneviève Bergeron, Maryse Laganière, Hélène Colgan, Maryse Leclair, Nathalie Croteau, Anne-Marie Lemay, Barbara Daigneault, Sonia Pelletier, Anne-Marie Edward, Michèle Richard, Maud Haviernick, Annie St-Arneault, Barbara Klucznik-Widajewicz and Annie Turcotte.