Marking 35 years of the L'École Polytechnique Massacre

Content Warning: This statement includes mentions of violence against women and gender non-conforming people.  

Today marks 35 years since the tragic attack at L’École Polytechnique, where 14 women were targeted and killed simply because they were women. These women had families, dreams, and their whole lives ahead of them – all stolen in an act of violence. On this National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, we honour their lives- cut short – and the longer lives they deserved to live.     

In Canada, a woman or girl is killed every 48 hours. Indigenous women and girls are six times more likely to be killed than their non-Indigenous counterparts. Women continue to experience sexual assault and harassment at home, in public, online and in the workplace. In fact, 80% of sexual assaults occur in someone’s home and 70% are committed by someone the survivor knows, like a family member, friend, or a coworker. About half of all sexual assaults occur on dates.  

These statistics only tell part of the story. Many survivors never report assaults due to fear, social stigma, distrust of police, and the overwhelming burden of proof placed on survivors in sexual violence cases. This makes it even harder to understand how widespread the problem really is.  

Adding to the crisis, far-right extremism is a growing threat to the rights of women, Two-Spirit, trans, non-binary and gender non-confirming people.   

Gender-based violence is upheld by societal attitudes, systemic failures, and inaction at every level. This also means we have the collective power to make things better.  

Today, we renew our commitment to work for gender equality, support survivors, and take action to end gender-based violence. Together, we can create a safer and more equal Canada for everyone.  

If you or someone you know is facing abuse of any kind, you can call the Assaulted Women’s Helpline at 1-866-863-0511. 

You can find a list of provincial and territorial supports at the Canadian Centre for Women’s Empowerment.   

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  

Annie Turcotte  

Canadian Centre for Women’s Empowerment 

White Ribbon Campaign 

Facts and Stats from Women and Gender Equality Canada 

Canadian Women’s Foundation