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Victims of gender-based violence remembered in Revelstoke

White Ribbon Day honours the women of the Polytechnique massacre
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The 14 women killed in the École Polytechnique massacre and other victims of gender-based violence are being remembered in a display from the Revelstoke Women's Shelter at the local library until Dec. 10.

An act of gender-based violence, or misogynist terrorism that sparked the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women is being recognized by the Revelstoke Women's Shelter to remember those 14 victims and the countless others since.

Together with the library, they are bringing awareness to the issue with a White Ribbon display to remember and honour the 14 women killed in the École Polytechnique massacre on Dec. 6, 1989.

“The White Ribbon Campaign, actually there’s an interesting piece of history there as well because it was a global movement that was started by men and boys working to end male violence against women," shelter executive director Lynn Loeppky said. "They were a group of pro-feminist men in Toronto that actually started White Ribbon Day.”

The initiative is also to recognize the many other women who are victims of violence, primarily by men, with the Canadian Femicide Observatory for Justice and Accountability listing 165 deaths in Canada this year, including Jo Ann Jackson in Sicamous and Tatjana Stefanski in Lumby.

Included in the library display is an homage to individuals who have helped victims of violence through their situations. Loeppky said that a group of 60 women were all asked the same question about how someone had supported them, with parts of their answers compiled into a piece of art that "kind of formed into a poem." It includes such simple actions as "an encouraging hug," "she was just there," and "stayed in my life even when I argued and struggled," which made all the difference to the victims. 

As part of the White Ribbon Campaign, people are encouraged to take one of the ribbons supplied and wear it or add it to the wall hanging in the library. The ribbons can also be written on to personalize them and honour a specific person affected by violence. 

The display will be in the library until Dec. 10, Human Rights Day.

"I just invite people to go in and have a look at it, read the information that's there, honour the women that lost their lives," Loeppky said. "It's a really important event that we shouldn't forget."

• Geneviève Bergeron, 21

* Hélène Colgan, 23

• Nathalie Croteau, 23

• Barbara Daigneault, 22

• Anne-Marie Edward, 21

• Maud Haviernick, 29

• Maryse Laganière, 25

• Maryse Leclair, 23

• Anne-Marie Lemay, 22

• Sonia Pelletier, 28

• Michèle Richard, 21

• Annie St-Arneault, 23

• Annie Turcotte, 20

• Barbara Klucznik-Widajewicz, 31 



About the Author: Heather Black

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