National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women vigil Dec. 6 in Perth
PERTH — Lanark County Interval House and Community Support will mark the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women on Saturday, Dec. 6 with a memorial event in Perth.
The annual observance commemorates the 14 women killed at Montreal’s École Polytechnique in 1989.
As part of its 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence campaign, executive director Erin Lee spoke at Trinity United Church in Smiths Falls last Sunday to mark the beginning of Advent. Lee noted the long-standing partnership with the church and spoke about current realities in the community.
Lee said public education and awareness work such as the See It. Name It. Change It. campaign has helped contribute to a decrease in femicides in the past year. She said calls to police and shelters reporting violence remain high. Rates of elder abuse are also increasing as more seniors face complex family dynamics, isolation and vulnerability.
The agency thanked the church for providing space each year to honour women lost to violence and invited the community to return for Saturday’s memorial service.
A memorial service is planned for 11 a.m. at Trinity United Church in Smiths Falls.
To mark the National Day of Remembrance in Perth, the agency will host its annual vigil at the women’s monument at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
The National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women was established by the federal government in 1991. The date marks the anniversary of the École Polytechnique massacre in Montreal when 14 women were killed in an act of gender-based violence. The 14 women killed that day were Geneviève Bergeron, Hélène Colgan, Nathalie Croteau, Barbara Daigneault, Anne Marie Edward, Maud Haviernick, Maryse Laganière, Maryse Leclair, Anne Marie Lemay, Sonia Pelletier, Michèle Richard, Annie St Arneault, Annie Turcotte and Barbara Klucznik Widajewicz. Communities across Canada hold memorials each year to honour the victims and to call for action to end violence against women.
If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse, contact the Lanark County Interval House 24-hour crisis line at 1-800-267-7946 or 613-257-5960. Call 911 in an emergency.
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