The Montreal Massacre – 20 Year Anniversary

Sunday marks the 20 year anniversary of the Montreal Massacre – the worst school shooting in Canadian history. On December 6, 1989, an armed man entered an engineering classroom at the École Polytechnique, separated the 50 men from the nine women, and ordered the men to leave. He then opened fire on the women, killing six and wounding three. Before opening fire, he told the women he was “fighting feminism” and accused the women of being “a bunch of feminists” because they were entering the field of engineering – a traditionally male occupation.

When he came out of that classroom, he continued through hallways and other rooms, opening fire on more innocent people. In the end, fourteen women were killed (twelve engineering students, one nursing student and one university employee), and fourteen others were injured, including four men. The killing spree ended with the gunman shooting himself in the head, twenty minutes after his “war on feminism” began.

This weekend, we remember the 14 women who were senselessly murdered simply because of their gender, and we reflect on the issue of violence against women in our society.

Please join us in remembering these fourteen women.
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.