Skip to content

A light in the dark

A group of around 20 came out Saturday night to light a candle and pay tribute to the memory of the victims of the 1989 Montreal Massacre.
26129porthardyC-Vigil-Hunt-Aot-50
Ronin and Natalee Hunt hold a candle at a vigil marking the anniversary of the Montreal Massacre.

PORT HARDY—A group of around 20 came out to Robert Scott School Saturday night to light a candle and pay tribute to the memory of the victims of the 1989 Montreal Massacre.

The annual event, hosted by the North Island Crisis and Counselling Centre, marked the 24th anniversary of the atrocity and serves as an opportunity to highlight the continuing problem of violence against women.

Fourteen women were slain and a further fourteen people were injured in the attack at l’Ecole Polytechnique, targeted because of their gender. In commemoration, Dec. 6 is recognized as the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence against Women.

In the Port Hardy event the group gathered for an opening prayer and held a moment of silence after naming the fourteen women. Speakers discussed the continued problem of violence against women — disproportionately prevalent for Aboriginal women — and lit candles in memory of the victims.