Today is the anniversary of the Montreal Massacre, the deliberate killing of fourteen women at the École Polytechnique. So, at some point during the day, please take a moment and think about those victims and all victims of violence against women. This day has also become the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence against Women.
Almost 20 years hence, the events of 1989 seem at once remote and vivid. I remember almost every detail of the hours after I heard about the massacre – what I was doing, where I was, what was going on in my life, etc. At the same time, I spent the morning very close to the site of the events (I was at HEC) and it was if nothing had happened, nothing special was being remembered today. I guess that’s how the passage of time works: but as I have said before, for a certain generation of Montrealers, today is etched in our memories forever.
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almost 20 yrs. amazing.
i was in grade 8, and I remember talking about it before mr. glasspoole’s math class, with jacques-yves gadbois.
there was a big debate in the school (a private boys school) at the time about whether or not it was an “isolated incident” or whether it had some bigger significance.