Gender-Based Violence Prevention Huron is marking the annual 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, which includes the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women on December 6th. The day honours the 14 young women who were killed in the 1989 mass shooting at Polytechnique Montréal simply because they were women. Each year, the organization remembers their lives while calling for continued action to end violence against women and girls.
The victims remembered are: 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.
More than three decades later, gender-based violence is still a widespread problem. According to the Ontario Association of Interval & Transition Houses, 43 women in Ontario lost their lives to femicide in the last year. Since 1990, over 1,120 women and children have been killed in acts of gender-based violence across the province.
The 16 Days of Activism, running from November 25th to December 10th, bring communities together across the world to raise awareness, challenge harmful beliefs, and push for stronger protections and support for survivors. During this time, people show support through public displays, lowered flags, events, and online campaigns, all reinforcing the message that violence against women must end.
As part of the campaign, Gender-Based Violence Prevention Huron will hold its annual Vigil Ceremony on Saturday, December 6th, to honour the women killed at Polytechnique Montréal, as well as every woman in Ontario who has lost her life to violence. The Vigil will begin at 11:00 a.m. at Courthouse Square Park, Goderich.
Residents are invited to attend, reflect, and stand in solidarity for a safer future.
More information, including the 2024–2025 femicide list, can be found through the Ontario Association of Interval & Transition Houses.