51社区黑料

The was established by the Canadian government to honour the fourteen women murdered at Polytechnique Montr茅al on December 6, 1989. Most of these women were engineering students, targeted in an act of anti-feminist violence.

SFU鈥檚 Memorial Bench 

On the 20th anniversary of the tragedy, 51社区黑料unveiled a memorial dedicated to the victims of the Montreal Massacre outside the east entrance to the Applied Sciences Building. The tribute includes:

• A basalt bench: designed by Victoria artist Illarion Gallant and sourced from the Squamish area, the bench bears the inscription: 鈥淥n the 6th of December 1989, 14 women were killed at 脡cole Polytechnique de Montreal. They were mainly engineering students. Our community mourns their loss and honours them with this memorial.鈥� 

• A grove of 14 dogwood trees: Planted near the entrance to SFU鈥檚 Applied Sciences building, these Cornus nuttallii (Eddie鈥檚 White Wonder) trees form a living memorial, reflecting the original ecosystem of Burnaby Mountain.

The memorial was initiated by SFU鈥檚 Women in Engineering (WiE) student organization, with leadership from Hiromi Matsui, former Director of Diversity and Recruitment for the Faculty of Applied Sciences, and support from Mehrdad Saif, former Director of the School of Engineering Science. 

Continuing the Legacy 

Since 1989, Women in Engineering鈥攁longside campus partners such as the Sexual Violence Support & Prevention Office and the SFSS Women鈥檚 Centre鈥攈as hosted an annual vigil to honour the victims of the Montreal Massacre and raise awareness about ongoing gender inequity in STEM fields. During the vigil, the names of the fourteen women are read aloud, and attendees are invited to light a candle or lay a rose on the bench. 

Why December 6 Matters 

December 6 is not only a day of remembrance鈥攊t is a call to action. Gender-based violence remains a pervasive issue worldwide. By honouring the victims of the Montreal Massacre, we are recommitting ourselves to creating safer, more equitable communities.