National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women

Kelly Hannah-Moffat

Diversity and Inclusion

Alumni

Equity

Graduate Students

National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women

Undergraduate Students

Subheadline

‘We mourn, then we work for change’

The ��Ƶ community came together to honour the memories of the 14 women who were killed in the École Polytechnique massacre in 1989 and to acknowledge the ongoing struggle against gender-based violence.

In-person and online, students, faculty, staff, librarians and alumni across the three campuses marked the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women with a memorial, led by the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, that was held at Hart House on Wednesday – the 34th anniversary of the anti-feminist attack that claimed the lives of 14 women and left another 10 women and four men injured.

Students walked across the stage to say the name of each woman killed – 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 – followed by a moment of silence.

Separately, a group of women in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering prepared to unveil a student-led monument outside the Galbraith Building. The installation, led by Rebecca Ing, Kaija Mikes, Natalia Espinosa-Merlano and Erika Narimatsu with the support of more than a dozen volunteers, features 14 figures in a circle with a plaque that explains its meaning.

A student-led monument created by women in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering was unveiled on Wednesday evening (photo by Shawn Ahmed)

Ing said the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women is of particular importance to her, as a woman in engineering.

“I see myself reflected in the women we are remembering, as I attend classes that they once learned from,” Ing said. “To remember them and the gender-based violence that took their lives is not an option: it is our responsibility as students to encourage action and awareness to improve inclusion.”

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow encouraged attendees to work for change (photo by Lisa Lightbourn)

Back at the Hart House event, Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow appealed to the U of T community to heed the call she recalled seeing on a sign during a Dec. 6, 1989 vigil outside of Emmanuel College: “We mourn, then we work for change.”

“Every one of you are change-makers and change leaders, because you’re here at the ��Ƶ,” Chow said. “You get the best education. You have the confidence – you have the skills – to know what needs to be done. So today, I urge you to make a commitment to put your passion and your intellect into it.”

Marisa Sterling, assistant dean and director, diversity, inclusion and professionalism in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, said women in engineering continue to face discrimination, violence and harassment (photo by Lisa Lightbourn)

Marisa Sterling, assistant dean and director, diversity, inclusion and professionalism in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, said that while positive change has been made in the decades since the tragedy, women in engineering continue to face gender-based violence and harassment, along with other forms of discrimination.

“Until violence against women has been eradicated, we will remember these 14 women and their families and bring awareness for the need for further actions every year,” Sterling said. “The eradication of gender-based violence and all forms of oppression is collective work.”

Author, performer and somatic sex educator Kai Cheng Thom delivered a keynote speech at the event (photo by Lisa Lightbourn)

The event featured a keynote speech by author, performer and somatic sex educator Kai Cheng Thom – titled “Care, Healing, and Justice: Addressing Transmisogyny and Ending Gender-Based Violence for All” – and a musical performance.

Thom urged attendees to hold fast to the ideals of empathy and solidarity amid the rising threat of violence.

“The valley of fear threatens to swallow us whole, but the light of love moves within and between us – if only we let it," Thom said. “The moment we begin to act as though a better world is possible is the moment that starts to be true.”

Sandy Welsh, vice-provost, students, announced this year’s winners of the Award for Scholarly Achievement in the Area of Gender-Based Violence, which recognizes U of T students for their exceptional commitment to issues of violence against women, girls, transgender and non-binary people.

Third-year student Gabrielle Tavazzani was recognized for her work providing pro-bono dental care to survivors of gender-based violence (photo by Lisa Lightbourn)

The undergraduate recipient was Gabrielle Tavazzani, a third-year student specializing in bioethics in the Faculty of Arts & Science, who was recognized for her work and research efforts on providing pro-bono dental care to survivors of gender-based violence.

The graduate winner was Nil Basduraka, a PhD candidate in the Faculty of Music. She was honoured for her interdisciplinary research examining media surrounding violence against women in Türkiye.

Faculty of Music PhD candidate Nil Basduraka was recognized for examining media surrounding violence against women in Türkiye (photo by Lisa Lightbourn)

Wednesday’s hybrid event at Hart House was co-hosted by the Anti-Racism and Cultural Diversity Office; the Community Safety Office; the Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Office at U of T Mississauga; the Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Office at U of T Scarborough; the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering; Hart House; the Division of People Strategy, Equity, & Culture; the Institutional Equity Office; the Sexual & Gender Diversity Office; and the Sexual Violence Prevention & Support Centre.

Kelly Hannah-Moffat, vice-president, people strategy, equity and culture, underscored the importance of providing opportunities for the community to engage with issues of gender-based violence and how it intersects with prejudices including transphobia and misogyny.

“Ending gender-based violence is possible through widespread, consistent, and ongoing action,” Hannah-Moffat said in a statement. “We can realize this possibility at the ��Ƶ, one action at a time.”

‘Not just about history’: U of T marks National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women

lanthierj — Tue, 06 Dec 2022 22:30:41 +0000

‘Not just about history’: U of T marks National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women

lanthierj Tue, 12/06/2022 - 17:30

Cutline

During the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, students spoke the names of each of the 14 women killed on Dec. 6, 1989 (all photos by Polina Teif)

Adina Bresge

Topic

National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women

Indigenous

LGBTQ

St. George

U of T Mississauga

U of T Scarborough

Members of the ��Ƶ community gathered Tuesday to remember the 14 women killed in the anti-feminist massacre at the École Polytechnique 33 years ago – and honour the lives of those taken and affected by gender-based violence.

Students, faculty, staff, librarians and alumni came together at Hart House for the in-person commemoration of the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, while others attended virtually by livestream.

Fourteen women died in the attack on Dec. 6, 1989. Another 10 women and four men were injured.

In a memorial led by the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, students walked across the stage to say the name of each woman killed: 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.

The tribute was followed by a moment of silence for the lives lost.

“If these women survived, they would have been women leaders, entrepreneurs and change agents many of this generation would have been inspired by,” said Marisa Sterling, the assistant dean and director, diversity, inclusion and professionalism in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering. “Until violence against women has been eradicated, we will remember these 14 women and their families and bring awareness for the need for further actions every year.

“Today’s memorial is not just about history. It matters to current students.”

Marisa Sterling, assistant dean of diversity, inclusion and professionalism, U of T Engineering

More than three decades after the Montreal massacre, the threat of femicide and gender-based violence persists across Canada, and statistics suggest the issue has become even more pressing in recent years, Kelly Hannah-Moffat, U of T’s vice-president, people strategy, equity and culture, said in a statement.

From 2019 to 2021, killings of women and girls have increased by 26 per cent, according to a report by the Canadian Femicide Observatory for Justice and Accountability. Indigenous women and girls experienced the highest rates of all forms of gender- and sex-based violence, Hannah-Moffat noted, and police-reported data find that people who are racialized, 2SLGBTQ+ or living with a disability are more likely to be victimized.

“The National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women urges all of us – citizens, institutions, and governments – to oppose and prevent gender-based violence through our words and our actions,” Hannah-Moffat said.

“At the ��Ƶ, this work is ongoing and requires substantial progress on a wide range of commitments: from creating more robust policies to improving our pathways for disclosure and reporting, and from pursuing corrective actions to promoting a culture of active consent across our three campuses.”

Vice-Provost, Students, Sandy Welsh, with award-winner Maya Morriswala

Three U of T students were recognized at the event for their exceptional commitment to issues of violence against women, girls, transgender and non-binary people. Sandy Welsh, vice-provost, students, announced this year’s winners of the Award for Scholarly Achievement in the Area of Gender-Based Violence:

The undergraduate recipient was Maya Morriswala, a fourth-year student in the Faculty of Arts & Science, who is researching digital dating abuse in transgender and non-binary populations, as well as among women in queer relationships.

Hayley Brooks, a PhD candidate in social justice education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, was one of the two graduate winners. Brooks is part of a research team investigating how international students and staff on Ontario campuses perceive their universities’ sexual violence and prevention initiatives.

The other graduate recipient was Rebecca Lennox, a PhD candidate in sociology at the Faculty of Arts & Science, whose research focuses on cisgender and transgender women’s fear of violent crime in urban public places.

Jenny Blackbird and Ravyn Wngz

The event also featured a musical performance by Nehiyaw/Finnish-Canadian multi-disciplinary artist Jenny Blackbird, resource centre and programs co-ordinator at First Nations House Indigenous Student Services, and a poetry reading by Ravyn Wngz, an empowerment movement storyteller and activist with Black Lives Matter.

Rounding out the proceedings was a panel discussion between Shahrzad Mojab, a professor in the department of leadership, higher and adult education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, Brenda Cossman, a professor in the Faculty of Law and lawyer Deepa Mattoo, executive director of the Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic.

Left to right: Professor Brenda Cossman, Professor Shahrzad Mojab, Deepa Mattoo

The panellists discussed what global action on gender-based violence can look like through an intersectional lens, accounting for shifting legal, social, medical and economic considerations.

Tuesday’s event was co-hosted by the Anti-Racism & Cultural Diversity Office; the Community Safety Office; the Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Office at ��Ƶ Mississauga; the Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Office at the ��Ƶ Scarborough; the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering; Hart House; the Division of People Strategy, Equity, & Culture, the Sexual & Gender Diversity Office; the Sexual Violence Prevention & Support Centre; and the Institutional Equity Office.

Following the event, a group of female engineering students planned to unveil a monument outside the Galbraith Building featuring 14 clear, life-sized silhouettes – each inscribed with the name of a victim – standing around a fleur-de-lis. Those gathered at Hart House, meanwhile, were provided with paper to make their own white rose tributes to the victims.

‘Change the system’: U of T marks 32nd anniversary of École Polytechnique massacre

geoff.vendeville — Mon, 06 Dec 2021 20:39:18 +0000

‘Change the system’: U of T marks 32nd anniversary of École Polytechnique massacre

geoff.vendeville Mon, 12/06/2021 - 15:39

Geoffrey Vendeville

Topic

Indigenous Initiatives

Kelly Hannah-Moffat

Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work

Awards

Faculty of Arts & Science

Graduate Students

National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women

U of T Mississauga

Undergraduate Students

Members of the ��Ƶ community gathered virtually on Monday to remember the 14 women killed in the École Polytechnique massacre 32 years ago – and to reflect on how to combat gender inequality and gender-based violence today.

At a tri-campus event marking the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, Marisa Sterling, the assistant dean and director diversity, inclusion and professionalism in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, said she was a third-year chemical engineering student at U of T in 1989 when a shooter went on a rampage at the Montreal school and killed 14 women for being who they were.

Another 10 women and four men were injured.

“We need to change the system that allows violence to continue as a known and acceptable way of life,” Sterling said. “We need to speak up when we witness acts of bullying, harassment and violence. We need to all act no matter our gender identity and work together.”

She recalled feeling pressure to prove she belonged in her engineering classes in 1989, when women only accounted for about 15 per cent of students. Today, the share of women in undergraduate engineering programs at U of T has grown to 40 per cent (the national average was 22 per cent last year, according to University Affairs).

Sterling was one of several speakers at the event who spoke about the need for action to address gender inequality and gender-based violence at a time when domestic violence reports are on the rise during the pandemic. Separately, Kelly Hannah-Moffat, U of T’s vice-president, people strategy, equity and culture, noted in a statement that the Dec. 6 event also follows the recent attacks in Atlanta, Ga. against Asian women and the 2021 Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People National Action Plan, which reports that ‘Indigenous women and girls are 12 times more likely to be murdered or missing than non-Indigenous women.’”

“Ending gender-based violence on our campuses and in society at large requires individual and collective will,” said Hannah-Moffat. “In your reflections on December 6, please consider what choices you can make to help us move from remembrance to action.”

In a tribute video, U of T Engineering students read the names of each of the victims of the Polytechnique massacre aloud. The Skule orchestra also performed the intermezzo from Pietro Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana at the online event.

Meanwhile, at Convocation Hall on the St. George campus, U of T Engineering students marked the anniversary of the tragedy by erecting a memorial to the victims: a simple white rose stemming from a wooden base inscribed with the names of all 14 women.

The names of the 14 women killed in the École Polytechnique massacre were written on the base of a flower erected at Convocation Hall (Photo by Sara Hines)

The virtual event was also used to announce the winners of student scholarships for research in the area of gender-based violence.

Micah Kalisch

Micah Kalisch, in her third year of a bachelor’s in gender studies and sociology, with a minor in equity studies, was the undergraduate student winner. She was awarded the scholarship in part for founding and leading the PEARS Project (Prevention, Empowerment, Advocacy and Response for Survivors), a student-led sexual violence survivor advocacy group with 75 members across U of T’s three campuses.

The group’s work is guided by principles of autonomy, consent, equity, mutual aid and support and care, Kalisch told U of T News. The project has provided peer support to survivors of gender-based violence and connected them with access to safer housing, counselling, financial aid and trauma-informed medical care.

A survivor herself, Kalisch researches rape culture, trauma and survivor-centric practices.

“Today is about reflection, education, mourning, acknowledging and holding space for the feelings associated with this process and recognizing there is a national epidemic of gender-based violence and taking action to eradicate all forms of gender-based violence,” said Kalisch.

Ran Hu

Ran Hu, a PhD student at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, was one of two graduate winners. She focuses on structural and interpersonal violence against women and issues related to commercial sex and human trafficking. In a paper published last year, Hu looks at the “hidden pandemic” of family violence in the background of COVID-19, using machine learning to analyze a million tweets.

The second graduate winner was Eugene Emeka Dim, a PhD student in sociology at the Faculty of Arts & Science. He researches intimate partner violence, gender studies and political participation in Africa and, in one recent published study, examined the dynamics of intimate partner violence in Lagos State, Nigeria.

Eugene Emeka Dim

Sandy Welsh, U of T’s vice-provost, students, congratulated Kalisch, Hu and Dim.

“All three of this year’s award winners should be commended on their contributions – in research, in action, on influencing a better way forward,” she said. “We thank you for your commitment and your passion in shining a spotlight on gender-based violence, and working toward, a better, safer future for women and girls, trans and non-binary people.”

In a panel to conclude the event, experts considered how to end gender-based violence after the pandemic.

The panel featured: Angela Treglia, U of T’s director of sexual violence prevention and support; Bristy Chakrabarty, sexual violence prevention and response co-ordinator; Tee Duke, U of T Mississauga’s assistant director of Indigenous Initiatives; Paulette Senior, CEO of the Canadian Women’s Foundation; Reenita Verma, co-ordinator of anti-violence initiatives at the 519 community centre; and Selena Zhang, a fourth-year U of T Scarborough student who was a work-study student at the Sexual Violence Prevention & Support Centre.

Zhang, who is an international student from China, called attention to the intersection of gender-based violence and anti-Asian hate.

“The look of an Asian face adds another layer of danger,” she said.

Earlier in the pandemic, her mom suggested she dye her hair blonde to look “less Asian,” she added.

Duke, a member of the Niisaachewan Anishinaabe Nation, noted the high rate of gender-based violence inflicted on Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people. “Unfortunately, for many, home is not a place of safety or peace,” she said.

Chakrabarty described the fight against gender-based violence as a collective effort “in which we all must do our parts – especially those of us with privilege.”

“Whether by supporting someone individually, contributing through our daily work or research, offering financial support, volunteering, or through other means – we all have a role to play in actualizing a world without gender-based violence,” she said.

U of T marks National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women with virtual event

Christopher.Sorensen — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 19:53:15 +0000

U of T marks National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women with virtual event

Christopher.Sorensen Fri, 12/04/2020 - 14:53

Cutline

Clockwise, from top left: Chris Yip; Alana Bailey, Jennifer Blackbird, Micah Stickel and Marisa Sterling (image courtesy of Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering)

Liz Do

Topic

National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women

Indigenous

LGBTQ

Members from across the ��Ƶ’s three campuses gathered virtually Friday to mark the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.

On Dec. 6, 1989, a gunman entered an engineering classroom at École Polytechnique in Montreal and murdered 14 female students, injuring another 10 women and four men. The victims were targeted because of their gender. The date of the massacre has become a day of remembrance and action against gender-based violence and discrimination – and each year, the U of T community marks the day with an event at Hart House.

Friday’s tri-campus virtual memorial was led by U of T’s Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering and the Sexual Violence Prevention & Support Centre, in partnership with Hart House.

“Today we are here to remember the past, the 14 women who died from violence,” said Marisa Sterling, assistant dean and director, diversity, inclusion and professionalism at U of T Engineering.

“We are here to acknowledge how far we have come in the present, and we are here to take actions, reimagining a future without violence or aggression towards women within the intersections of many identities.”

While this year’s event was held online because of the pandemic, previous commemorations have involved ceremonies and events on all three U of T campus, including the laying of 14 roses – one for every woman killed. Last year, on the 30th anniversary of the massacre U of T Engineering was among 14 engineering schools from across the country to shine a beam of light  into the sky, from coast to coast.

In 2019, U of T Engineering joined 13 other engineering schools from across the country in shining a beam of light into the sky to mark the 30th anniversary of the tragedy (photo by Roberta Baker)

This year’s virtual ceremony included a performance by Jenny Blackbird, event co-ordinator for the Ciimaan/Kahuwe’ya/Qajaq Indigenous Language Initiative Program at the Centre for Indigenous Studies.

“This a song for all of our sisters, my Indigenous sisters, my kin, and extending out to all the sisters, including transwomen and non-binary. We have a lot of violence pushed up against us,” Blackbird said. “I love you all. This is for you.”

Students from across the university led in reading the names of the 14 women before a moment of silence.

Professor Micah Stickel, acting vice-provost, students, also announced this year’s three recipients of the Award for Scholarly Achievement in Gender-Based Violence, in recognition of U of T students who have shown commitment on issues around gender-based violence and discrimination through research and prevention.

The recipients are:

Ferdinand Lopez of the Women & Gender Studies Institute
Rajpreet Sidhu of the department of human geography at U of T Scarborough
Kanishka Sikri of the Centre for Critical Development Studies at U of T Scarborough

The event culminated in a fireside chat, facilitated by Jennifer Flood and Bristy Chakrabarty of the Sexual Violence Prevention & Support Centre, and featuring panelists Chris Yip, dean of U of T Engineering; Alana Bailey, president of the National Society of Black Engineers U of T Chapter; Tee Duke, assistant director, Indigenous initiatives, at U of T Mississauga’s Indigenous Centre; and, Andi Alhakim, intercultural programs assistant at U of T Mississauga’s International Education Centre.

The conversation highlighted ways in which individuals can call out and take concrete action to end violence against women. The discussions also emphasized the need to centre the narrative around protecting racialized and 2SLGBTQ+ communities and taking steps to prevent violence against them.

“It’s crazy how [violence is] happening to us, Black women, Indigenous women, the most – and yet less focus is on us,” says Bailey. “People need to wake up and not be desensitized. This energy is what makes society look away. To centre the narrative, I think we need to create spaces where we have a voice, spaces where we won’t be shamed, ignored and looked over.”

The group also discussed how non-Black, Indigenous and people of color (Non-BIPOC) U of T students, staff and faculty can commit to taking actions, informed by the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

“I encourage folks to actually read the report,” says Duke. “It’s going to take some time. It is 1,200 pages with 231 recommendations, but it’s not that we don’t have a roadmap. It comes down to everyone having a responsibility in ending violence.”

Angela Treglia, director of the Sexual Violence Prevention & Support Centre, closed the event with a call to action: “Today we reflect, we remember, but we need to respond. May we all find the courage and strength to take action and speak out against violence against women and may we continue to work for change.”

With light and flowers, U of T remembers the women killed 30 years ago at École Polytechnique de Montréal

rahul.kalvapalle — Fri, 06 Dec 2019 19:52:27 +0000

With light and flowers, U of T remembers the women killed 30 years ago at École Polytechnique de Montréal

rahul.kalvapalle Fri, 12/06/2019 - 14:52

Cutline

A spotlight shines above King’s College Circle during an event to mark the 30th anniversary of the 14 women killed at École Polytechnique de Montréal (photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

Rahul Kalvapalle

Topic

Faculty of Arts & Science

Faculty of Engineering

National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women

Meric Gertler

Victoria College

A giant spotlight illuminated the sky above King’s College Circle Friday evening as the ��Ƶ’s Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering marked the 30th anniversary of the worst act of gender-based violence in Canada’s history with a poignant display of solidarity.

U of T Engineering was one of 14 engineering schools across the country to participate in the light-shining ceremony.

The event took place around 5 p.m. (EST), which is around the time a gunman entered École Polytechnique de Montréal on Dec. 6, 1989 and killed 14 women before taking his own life. He professed his hatred of feminists and targeted female engineering students.

The date has since come to be commemorated as the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.

Marisa Sterling, the assistant dean and director of diversity, inclusion and professionalism at the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, speaks at the evening event outside Convocation Hall (photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

U of T President Meric Gertler attended the ceremony outside Convocation Hall. He joined Claire Kennedy, chair of Governing Council, and 12 other representatives of the university’s administration, faculty, student body and members of the broader engineering community in placing 14 flashlights – representing the 14 victims of the attack – into a new memorial installation designed by the U of T Engineering Society’s Blue & Gold Committee.

U of T President Meric Gertler places a flashlight into a memorial for the 14 women (photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

Earlier Friday, a commemoration was also held at Hart House. The program included the presentation of the Award for Scholarly Achievement in the Area of Gender-Based Violence to Sydney Narciso Wilson, a fourth-year Victoria College student who is double-majoring in history and peace, conflict and justice.

Sydney Narciso Wilson poses with her award for scholarly achievement in the area of gender-based violence (photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

Following the ceremonies, attendees were invited to place roses on a pair of benches across from Hart House that were set up in 2009 to mark the 20^th anniversary of the tragedy.

U of T Scarborough held its own remembrance event on Nov. 28 and mobilized attendees to assemble wellness kits for donation to women in need in Scarborough. U of T Mississauga, meanwhile, held a tribute on Dec. 2, with attendees putting together wellness kits to be donated to Nisa Homes, a transitional home for Muslim women and children.

See below for more photos of Friday’s commemorations on the U of T St. George campus:

Fourteen white roses, representing the 14 victims of the 1989 massacre, are placed on benches across from Hart House (photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

White roses are carefully laid on the benches across from Hart House (photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

The names of the victims of the Dec. 6, 1989 massacre at École Polytechnique de Montréal are lit up on U of T’s St. George campus (photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

Attendees looks on during an event at Hart House to mark the 30th anniversary of the École Polytechnique de Montréal shootings (photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

Benches were installed in 2009 for the 20th anniversary of the mass shooting at École Polytechnique de Montréal, where 14 women were killed (photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

Four members of U of T's engineering community reflect on the legacy of Dec. 6

Christopher.Sorensen — Thu, 05 Dec 2019 13:48:46 +0000

Four members of U of T's engineering community reflect on the legacy of Dec. 6

Christopher.Sorensen Thu, 12/05/2019 - 08:48

Liz Do

Topic

City & Culture

Alumni

National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women

Undergraduate Students

This year marks the 30^th anniversary of the École Polytechnique massacre, the deadliest mass shooting in Canadian history. The 14 victims, 12 of whom were engineering students, were targeted because of their gender.

The anniversary of the Dec. 6, 1989 tragedy has since become a day of remembrance and action against gender-based violence and discrimination. The event has reverberated across generations of female and female-identified members of the engineering community in Canada, empowering them to lead, effect change and inspire the next generation of women engineers.

As the ��Ƶ prepares to mark the day, four members of the U of T Engineering community share their reflections on what Dec. 6 means to them.

Mirjana Mijalkovic
Second-year student, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

I am fortunate to have grown up surrounded by strong-willed, inspirational women in my family and schooling, who have shown me the tremendous impact of lifelong dedication to their communities and careers.

My mother, Marija Mijalkovic (a U of T Engineering alumnae), was the first person to share with me the history of Dec. 6, and since then I’ve held on to the significance of the tragedy as a guiding torch to pursue an engineering education.

Studying engineering at the ��Ƶ is a true privilege, and for this reason I’ve sought to build roots in the student community by advocating for my peers within the faculty and participating in prospective female student retention initiatives.

Remembering Dec. 6 calls on all of us to reflect on the shortcomings of the past, but also how much has been achieved from the hard work of incredible role models – without whom many of our opportunities and privileges would not exist today.

Julie Audet
Vice-Dean, Graduate Studies, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

On Dec. 6, 1989, I was a second-year undergraduate student at Laval University in a life science program.

Some female classmates from my secondary school were attending École Polytechnique at that time and, on that day, my thoughts were with them and their families. I worried for their safety and those around them.

In spite of the significant trauma they experienced, I find comfort in seeing that their careers as engineers flourished. Less than two years after the Montreal massacre, I enrolled in the undergraduate program in chemical engineering at Laval U. Though it has left scars on our psyche, our drive and perseverance to continue our studies and a career in engineering were not diminished by this horrifying event. We could not, and will not, let the actions of others alter our ambitions.

Shivani Nathoo
Alumnae, President, U of T Engineering Society, 2018-2019

When I was growing up, I never really saw engineering as a man’s profession, or something that I couldn’t do. When I first heard about the Montreal massacre, I was shocked and scared that there were those who believed the profession should remain a man’s profession and would go to such lengths to protect that.

As I grew up, I found myself recognizing that thought process in more and more people – them trying to make me and others think that women or people who were “different” (those who identify as LGBTQ+, racial minorities and other minority groups) don’t belong in engineering. When you’re getting results that don’t match your expectations – a job rejection, or a bad mark, for example – those words can make an impact.

This has motivated me to seek out mentors and role models, and to talk about my experiences to younger students to reassure them that everyone makes mistakes, that our paths are all different and that they do belong and are contributing to the profession just as much as anyone else.

Savanna Blade

Second-year student, Equity and Inclusivity Director, U of T Engineering Society

I learned about the Polytechnique tragedy shortly after the Toronto van attack in 2018. It had a profound impact on me, both as a woman and as a prospective engineering student; it was a sobering reminder that even “isolated” academic communities are not immune to the violent hatred directed towards women and female-presenting individuals in so many other contexts.

Learning of the massacre, and about the still very pervasive biases that women and other underrepresented groups face in engineering, continues to shape the way I see my responsibilities as an engineering student.

Systemic oppression demands systemic change – change that starts here, at Skule, as we grow into the roles that await us in the workforce. Dec. 6 should serve as a reminder that this change starts with accountability; it requires that we recognize the failures of the past so that we can decide how things will be different in the future.

National Day of Remembrance & Action commemorated at U of T

geoff.vendeville — Tue, 06 Dec 2016 20:10:37 +0000

National Day of Remembrance & Action commemorated at U of T

geoff.vendeville Tue, 12/06/2016 - 15:10

Cutline

��Ƶ staff, students and faculty lay 14 roses in Hart House Circle on the anniversary of the Montreal Massacre. There was one rose for each victim of the shooting, the worst in Canadian history (photo by Lisa Lightbourn-Lay)

Geoffrey Vendeville

Author legacy

Geoffrey Vendeville

Topic

National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women

Women

Guns