Attendees of Polytechnique vigil at TRU remember lives lost, acknowledge anti-violence work to be done

Roses were laid, candles were lit, and there was also an option for notes to be written by people who attended.

Mahtab Nazemi is one of the TRUFA committee members who helped organize the display.

“Thirty-two years later, as some folks have said, there’s different levels of violence that continue, and the silencing of victims and the harm that we continue to face as women is unfathomable,” she says.

Some of the attendees were university students themselves when the tragedy occurred, while others were quite young. Those who gathered on campus shared how the Polytechnique incident impacted their lives and took time to remember the women who lost theirs.

“I’m feeling a bit of encouragement, I’m feeling a lot of sadness in terms of just the relevance of this day,” Nazemi says.

The timing of the anniversary was not lost on organizers. Over the COVID-19 pandemic, numerous organizations have cited a rise in intimate partner violence, and ongoing gender-based violence.

Kamloops Sexual Assault Counselling Centre Agency Coordinator Alix Dolson was present at Monday’s vigil and says it was a particularly relevant event to be holding.

“COVID has definitely presented a number of challenges for those of us who are trying to do anti-violence work, and for those of us who care about equity and women’s rights,” Dolson explains, “We know that people are isolated, we know that people are afraid to come forward with their stories. I think in a university context there’s repercussions that I think the wider community doesn’t always understand, and that the stakes are high for those people who are prepared to come forward with their stories of violence.”

Monday’s vigil was not only a space to honour the women killed, but to demand change to the misogyny still prevalent across university campuses and beyond, acknowledge continued efforts to end gender-based violence, and remind people of the resources and supports available to help.

“If you’re needing support, do reach out because there are supports available, people care, and they do want to see you supported,” Dolson says.

A full list of supports and available resources can be found through Kamloops Sexual Assault Counselling Centre’s website – located here.

by Dylana Kneeshaw

Attendees of Polytechnique vigil at TRU remember lives lost, acknowledge anti-violence work to be done

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