Today is the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women in Canada. 30-years-ago on this day, a gunman killed 14 women at Ecole Polytechnique in Montreal. At a ceremony this morning in Petawawa, the names of those women were read out loud. Coordinator of the morning vigil for the Women’s Sexual Assault Centre of Renfrew County, Jo-Anne Brooks, says that day was a big wake up call for women.
Brooks says over the years, she’s noticed more people talking about violence against women, but she adds the amount of incidents hasn’t decreased. She encourages people to speak up because violence against women is not ok.
Red roses were placed in front of the women’s monument in Petawawa this morning for the 24 women murdered in Renfrew County, a yellow rose for the missing and murdered Indigenous and a white rose for those still living with violence. There’s another vigil at 6pm tonight at the Wesley United Church in Pembroke.