Dear York community,
Every year, York joins communities across Canada in honouring the victims of one of the deadliest shootings in Canadian history, when 14 women were murdered on Dec. 6, 1989 at École Polytechnique in Montreal.
Their names, their aspirations and their lives remain at the centre of the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women: 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.
As we come together for this day of remembrance and action, we also acknowledge all the women and girls who continue to face gender-based violence today, which is compounded by a myriad of intersecting factors: racism, including anti-Indigenous racism and xenophobia; economic injustice; ableism; creed-based discrimination; anti-2SLGBTQIA+ ideologies, and more.
We invite all members of the York community to join us for this year’s memorial ceremony.
Event details
Date: Friday, Dec. 5
Time: 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Event website: National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women
Keele Campus
Live location: The Eatery (first floor), Bergeron Centre for Engineering Excellence
Glendon Campus
Viewing room: Glendon Ballroom
Livestream: webcast link
Markham Campus
Viewing room: MK2050
Livestream: webcast link
In solidarity with survivors and in honour of those whose lives were taken, we encourage attendees to wear a white ribbon during the ceremony. Ribbons will be available at the Centre for Sexual Violence Response, Support & Education.
York is also participating in the international 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence campaign, which runs from Nov. 25 (International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women) to Dec. 10 (Human Rights Day). During these 16 days, the centre and partners across York will host events, workshops and conversations that encourage reflection, learning and community action. You can learn more about these events and register for them here.
We hope you will join us in remembrance and in strengthening our collective commitment to end gender-based violence and to build communities founded on the equal rights and dignity of girls and women.
Sincerely,
Rhonda Lenton
President & Vice-Chancellor
Laina Y. Bay-Cheng
Professor and Vice-President Equity, People & Culture
Jane Goodyer
Dean, Lassonde School of Engineering