Premier David Eby has issued the following statement on National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women:

“On this day in 1989, 14 young Montreal women were murdered for one reason: They were women.

“Most of the victims of the École Polytechnique massacre were students at the school, studying in male-dominated engineering fields. They were smart, hard-working and ambitious. They had their whole lives ahead of them. One violent act of hate stole so much from so many: the holidays, graduation, rewarding careers and future families. 

“Today, we remember and honour those women. We stand with the survivors of this senseless attack, many of whom have physical and psychological injuries that last a lifetime. And we grieve with the families and friends who lost a loved one on that dark day.

“Thirty-six years after the Montreal massacre, misogyny and violence against women remain deeply rooted in our society. In the past year, there have been several horrific attacks in B.C. that remind us how urgently we need to address this issue.    

“Our government is committed to ending violence against women and ensuring survivors get the support they need.

“That work starts with prevention and it starts early. That is why we are supporting educational and awareness programs in K-12 and post-secondary schools. One of the first forms of gender-based violence that many young people experience is having their intimate images shared without their consent. This fall, we took further steps to prevent this by raising the ceiling on fines for offenders, while improving privacy protections for survivors so they feel safer coming forward. 

“Our legal system plays a critical role in preventing violence against women and holding those who use violence accountable. That is why we commissioned Kim Stanton to lead an independent review into how the system responds to sexual violence and intimate-partner violence. We are responding to the recommendations in the report and will have more to say in the coming days.

“We have also successfully lobbied the federal government for bail and sentencing reform, including measures to impose stronger consequences for repeat and violent offenders and provide better protections for survivors of intimate-partner violence. Our goal is a justice system that delivers safety, dignity and justice for survivors.

“As we work to eliminate violence against women, we will always be there for survivors. That includes creating more safe housing for women fleeing violence, supporting Indigenous-led approaches and providing stable funding for more than 475 victim-service programs and violence-against-women prevention programs.

“We know there is more to do. We will continue to do that work in memory of the women we lost on Dec. 6, 1989, and the many more since then.”

Niki Sharma, Attorney General, said:

“Thirty-six years after the École Polytechnique massacre, misogynistic violence continues to devastate lives. This day reminds us why we must transform our justice system. Women deserve more than remembrance. They deserve safety, dignity and justice. Survivors have told us where the system fails and we have listened. We’re working to transform the system to ensure accountability, protection and respect. We will not stop until every woman is safe and supported.”  

Jennifer Blatherwick, parliamentary secretary for gender equity, said:

“Every year on Dec. 6, we remember the women whose lives were stolen by violence and we recommit to building a future where every woman and girl is safe, valued and free. Remembrance must be matched with action because mourning without change is not enough. We will continue to take action, year over year, to end violence against women, girls and gender-diverse people.”