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Montreal Massacre, 1989

It was December 6, 1989. L’École Polytechnique in Montreal, Quebec. Gunman Marc Lépine burst into the building, planning to murder female engineering students on his hit list. Shouting "I hate feminists," he began a horrific 45-minute rampage. Before turning the gun on himself, Lépine killed 14 women as well as injurying other students.

candles

The murdered women were Geneviève Bergeron, Hélène Colgan, Nathalie Croteau, Barbara Daigneault, Anne-Marie Edward, Maud Haviernick, Barbara Klucznik Widajewicz, Maryse Laganière, Maryse Leclair, Anne-Marie Lemay, Sonia Pelletier, Michèle Richard, Annie St-Arneault, and Annie Turcotte.

Victims of Montreal Massacre
Women killed in the Montreal Masscre

To commemorate the victims and try to stop violence against girls and women, the Government of Canada created the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women in 1991.

Violence against women poster

Watch television coverage about the Montreal Massacre from CBC

Rose Campaign Check out television clips from the CBC Archives. Videos include an interview by journalist Barbara Frum, discussions with horrified students, and a profile of the murderer.

More about the Montreal Massacre

How I sanitized the feminist outrage over the Montreal massacre, an article written by Shelley Page for the Ottawa Citizen. December 5, 2014.
Montreal Massacre lessons took 25 years to learn, an article written by Francine Pelletier for CBCNews. December 1, 2014.
Lessons of the Montreal Massacre: Why women must fight to be what they want, article in the Toronto Star by Catherine Porter. December 05, 2009.
The Montreal massacre: Canada's feminists remember, article by Julie Bindel in The Guardian. December 3, 2012.
YWCA: Rose Campaign.
Montreal Massacre, a song written by Bev Nicol and Lisa Dorian as a tribute to the 14 women who died.
Too Little Learned since Montreal Massacre, article in the CAUT Journal by Wayne Peters.
Montreal Massacre still relevant: Francine Pelletier , article by Amanda-Leigh Jess in the New Brunswick Beacon. November 23, 2012.
After the Montreal Massacre, description of a film produced by the National Film Board.1990.
Reframing the Montréal Massacre, a video by Maureen Bradley on vimeo.com. (27.37 minutes)
Naomi Klein: The Montreal Massacre, short YouTube video featuring Naomi Klein. Explaining how the Montreal Massacre pushed her into politics.

Memorial for Victims of Montreal Massacre