McMaster honours victims of École Polytechnique tragedy

Today marks 35 years since a gunman entered Montreal’s École Polytechnique and killed 14 people simply because they were women. Among the victims were a nursing student, a staff member, and several engineering students.

McMaster University held a ceremony to honour them and call on governments to do more to address violence against women.

Heather Sheardown, the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at McMaster, was a newly graduated engineer at the time—one of only two women in her class. She remembers the tragedy all too well.

“Shock, fear. I was here at McMaster doing my undergraduate degree. I thought about the room where we were studying at that time and how somebody could have come up to the top of the stairs, because the room was at the top of the stairs. It could have been me,” Heather said.

Although the École Polytechnique massacre occurred many years ago, current students say its impact is still felt today, with some even having a personal connection to it.

In 1991, Canada proclaimed December 6th as the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.

Meanwhile, tributes were held at Polytechnique Montreal today. Students and staff laid white roses and wore white ribbons in memory of the victims.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau posted the names of the victims on social media, saying, “We will not forget their names.”

Trudeau is in Montreal today for a ceremony that began just after 5:00 PM—the exact moment the gunfire started.

For the first time, alongside the 14 beams of light for the victims, a 15th beam illuminated the sky. This beam serves as a broader symbol to honor all women who have been victims of violence.

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