On Monday, December 6, Salt Spring islanders are invited to gather online at 5 PM in memorial and solidarity of the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women in Canada.  Like last year, the memorial - hosted by The Circle Salt Spring Education Society and Islanders Working Against Violence (IWAV) - will be a Zoom event that will be live-streamed online.

The National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women in Canada was established in 1991 by the Parliament of Canada to commemorate the 14 young women who were murdered by a gunman on December 6, 1989, at l’École Polytechnique in Montreal as a deliberate act of violence against women.

More than 30 years have passed since the École Polytechnique massacre, and gender-based violence continues to be a real and horrific issue in the world, in Canada, and in our own community.

Every six days a woman in Canada is killed by her intimate partner (Statistics Canada 2019) and on any given night in Canada, over 6000 women and children sleep in shelters because it isn’t safe for them at home (Canadian Women’s Foundation) “Those numbers are astounding,” says Salt Spring resident Elly Silverman.

Silverman was in 1989, as the Director of Research for the Canadian Advisory Council on the Status of Women - who advised the federal government and informed and educated the public about women's issues – in the heart of the feminist movement when the massacre happened. “We were utterly shocked by what happened in Montreal, but we were not entirely surprised,” she says looking back. “At the time, people thought, and maybe still do, that it was the act of a crazy person. He was crazy, but it was very much a terrible overt expression of what we’d already known to be true over and over again; that women in our society are mistrusted, maligned, and even despised.”

It is hard for her to see that over the years the rates of violence against women didn’t change. “They are exactly the same, or maybe even got worse since the pandemic,” she continues. “We can fill libraries full of research on violence against women and there are endless numbers of potential solutions that are never enforced. We know it is happening, but not enough people care to actually do something about it. That’s why it is important to commemorate and continue to raise awareness on days like December 6th.”

IWAV provides anti-violence services to women and children in the Southern Gulf Islands. In 2020-21, IWAV took 428 crisis calls and served over 206 women and 34 children fleeing violence and abuse. These services include a 24hr crisis line, outreach and advocacy, sexual assault response, counseling, and transitional housing.

The COVID pandemic still has a significant impact on women experiencing intimate partner violence and sexual assaults. IWAV has seen an increase in service demands, escalation of violence, and increased vulnerability of women and children who experience violence and abuse.

“For some people, being stuck at home, financial strain, boredom, and fewer connections was the perfect storm for a sharp increase in mental health issues and the violence that often results,” says Heather Picotte, Transition House Manager for IWAV. “And although we saw globally, increased rates of domestic violence increased during the pandemic, ironically and sadly we had fewer stays in transition houses. Individuals experiencing violence have had more difficulty reaching out for support or making exit plans because they‘ve had little privacy to do so.”

The Circle Salt Spring Education Society delivers innovative, evidence based educational programs for children, youth and adults in order to promote communities free of violence, bullying, discrimination, assault and abuse. “On this the 33rd Anniversary of the horrible events at l’École Polytechnique, we pause to take stock of what we have and have not accomplished in the empowerment of women,” says Dr. Eric Ellis, the Chair of The Circle. “You only have to pick up a newspaper, listen to the radio or watch television to be reminded of what we have not accomplished. But it is programs like the Circle Salt Spring Education Society are developing and offering to Salt Spring children that are helping our children today make a difference to women in the future.”

December 6 is a time to reflect on gender-based violence in our society. It’s equally an opportunity to reflect on the light of the candles that will be lit and to join in community to renew our strength, honour the lives of women, and hope for more inclusive and peaceful communities.

To participate in the memorial visit thecircleeducation.org