Executive Council
December 6, 2010The following statement was given today in
the House of Assembly by the Honourable Susan Sullivan, Minister
Responsible for the Status of Women:
Province Remembers Victims of Montreal
Massacre
I rise in the House of Assembly today to honour the memory of
14 young women who were killed during what we now refer to as
the Montreal Massacre.
Twenty-one years ago today, as they were studying for their
futures, the lives of these women were taken at Montreal�s
�cole Polytechnique,
simply because they were women.
In 1991, in memory of these women, the Federal Government
designated December 6th as the National Day of Remembrance and
Action on Violence Against Women.
More than two decades after it occurred, this horrific event
is a chilling reminder of the devastating effects of violence
against women.
Far too many women in our province live with violence every
day.
Our two police forces reported over 8,600 incidents
of violence against women between 2006 and 2009.
Equally alarming is the fact that of the 217,900 women over
the age of 15 residing in Newfoundland and Labrador,
approximately 108,950 will experience at least one incident of
sexual or physical violence throughout their lifetime.
However, only 10 per cent will report these incidents to police.
These facts represent a huge societal issue that we all have a
responsibility to address. Through a six-year, $12-million
Violence Prevention Initiative, our government is proactively
working with communities and volunteer organizations to identify
long-term solutions to preventing violence against women.
Our Respect Women campaign includes a website of information
and resource materials, as well as print and television
advertisements. In this campaign, we are using positive messages
to encourage men to teach young boys how to respect women and we
are addressing the very root of violence, inequality.
As well, the Purple Ribbon Campaign can now be seen
throughout our province. Wearing the ribbon, like the one every
member of the House of Assembly is wearing today, shows support
for the need to prevent violence against women, and the need to
make it a topic we can openly discuss in our society. I am so
pleased that our province is the first in Canada to officially
support such a campaign.
Let this ribbon also symbolize the hope that comes from our
collective efforts to end inequality and violence against women
and I encourage everyone to learn more about how they can help
bring an end to violence against women.
As a reminder to us all of the events of December 6, 1989, I
want to read into the record of the House of Assembly the names
of those 14 women who died that day:
Genevi�ve Bergeron
H�l�ne Colgan
Nathalie Croteau
Barbara Daigneault
Anne-Marie Edward
Maud Haviernick
Barbara Klucznik-Widajewicz
Maryse Lagani�re
Maryse Leclair
Anne-Marie Lemay
Sonia Pelletier
Mich�le Richard
Annie St. Arneault
Annie Turcotte
2010 12 06 2:00 p.m.
