Hundreds of people gathered at the Women’s Monument in Ottawa’s Minto Park Wednesday night to mark the National Day of Remembrance and Action to End Violence Against Women.
The annual commemoration falls on the anniversary of the day in 1989 when Marc Lepine carried out a shooting spree at Ecole Polytechnique in Montreal, killing 14 women and injuring 10 more.
Those who gathered in Ottawa also heard many other examples of violence against women, far more recent, and much closer to home.
“Nathalie was killed September 22nd, 2015, in Renfrew County,” said guest speaker Daniell Picard-Ugoji. She was referring to her friend, Nathalie Warmerdam. “She was the kind of friend that would do anything for you, and did many, many times.” Warmerdam, Anastasia Kuzyk and Carol Culleton were each gunned down at their homes near Wilno, Ontario. Basil Borutski stands accused of the murders.
Gatineau’s Laure-Emmanuelle sang a song at the vigil. She was there because of what happened to her daughter last spring. “My daughter was attacked on her way back from school,” she explains. Her daughter, 16 at the time, survived the attack.
One by one, women stepped up to the microphone to recount stories of others who have suffered, and died, at the hands of men. A somber reminder that, 27 years later, violence against women hasn’t gone away. “"So therefore it is still very important to address and to speak up,” says organizer Kim Dube. “To raise awareness in the community as well as to work together to eliminate violence against women."
