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Special Events
Candlelight Vigil
December 6th is
Canada’s National Day of Remembrance & Action on Violence Against Women.
Each year in Strathroy, we come together as a community to “first mourn,
then work for change” with a candlelight vigil (indoor) and walk
(outside).
We remember and mourn by:
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naming the Ontario women and children
who have lost their lives each year to domestic violence
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recognizing the many women living and
dying in abusive relationships in our own community
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remembering the 14 women murdered on
Dec 6th 1989 in Montreal
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bringing to our awareness the pain
and anger that perpetuates violence
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acknowledging the cultural
facilitators of violence
We take action and work for change by:
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challenging personal, societal and
cultural beliefs and practices
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acknowledging that we all play a part
in perpetuating violence
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declaring our personal commitments
for action against violence
Visit
http://owjn.org/action/dec604.htm
to view a speech given in
Strathroy in 2004 by Pamela Cross of the Metropolitan Action Committee on
Violence Against Women and Children.
The Herstory of December
6th
On December 6th,
1989, Marc Lepine, a young man of 26, decided that the feminists must be
punished for opening access to university education for women. Armed with
a semi-automatic rifle, ammunition and knives, he walked through the
Engineering Building of the Ecole Polytechnique in Montreal, shot and
killed 14 women, wounded 13 others, mostly women, and then killed
himself. As he killed the 14 women and wounded 13 others, the deranged
gunman was making anti-woman statements and blaming feminists for ruining
his life. The letter that he left behind detailed his hatred towards
women.
Each year, vigils
and other ceremonies are held across Canada to remember this tragic event,
to acknowledge the continuing violence against women and to take action.
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