News release

Remembering Montreal, Looking to the Future

Status of Women

The following op-ed is from Joanne Bernard, Minister responsible for the Nova Scotia Advisory Council on the Status of Women.


On Dec. 6, 1989, a man walked into the École Polytechnique in Montreal. He separated the female students from the males and opened fire. He shot 28 people, killing 14 women.

It was one of those events in life where people remember where they were and what they were doing when they heard the terrible news.

This act of violence shocked the nation and, 25 years later, on Dec. 6, we will again commemorate the violence against these young women, and against all women, on the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.

Remembering is important, and I encourage Nova Scotians to participate in one of the many events taking place throughout the province.

This year, the Nova Scotia Advisory Council on the Status of Women chose to not only commemorate the past, but look to the future and help address gendered violence.

We will soon be reporting back on what we heard during consultations for the province's first sexual violence strategy.

Over 800 Nova Scotians took the opportunity to have their voices heard as we work to develop an action plan for better supports for victims, while trying to prevent sexual violence from happening.

On Dec. 4, the Transition House Association and supporting partners are launching a new campaign to raise awareness of the services they offer. Women can talk to a counsellor or get information anonymously, without staying at a shelter.

I encourage women who are experiencing violence, or who know someone else in that situation, to please seek help. There are many confidential resources; you do not have to go through this situation alone.

Let us never forget Dec. 6, 1989, and let us never break our resolve to prevent violence from happening to women today and in the future.

The Nova Scotia Advisory Council on the Status of Women has many resources on its website, and I invite you look and use them at <a href="http://women.gov.ns.ca/">http://women.gov.ns.ca/<a/> .