A memorial honouring the women killed at L’école Polytechnique 25 years ago will be erected in Holland Park despite concerns raised by Coun. Ben Isitt that the exposed waterfront location will be too inhospitable for annual December vigils in their memory.
“December 6 of pretty much every year is generally a fairly nasty time of the year, weather-wise. It’s a beautiful spot for a memorial, so certainly I think you’d have a lot of people seeing the monument and being reminded of the horrific events that took place in Montreal,” said Isitt.
Isitt said he was in total support of erecting a memorial at the earliest opportunity — just not at Holland Park.
“As a feminist who’s involved in a number of events and gatherings involving social-movement groups, I don’t believe this is a preferred location,” Isitt said.
The memorial is being established by the Victoria Regional Committee of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, which worked with city staff in determining an appropriate location. The proposed monument is a rock boulder embedded with a bronze plaque.
“It’s an exposed area for sure, but it is a particularly appropriate area from the perspective of having it as a memorial/gathering place. I know that the women’s committee is very happy with this location,” said Coun. Marianne Alto, a former executive director of the women’s centre who has attended every vigil held.
On Dec. 6, 1989 — in what became known as the Montreal Massacre — enraged gunman Marc Lépine, 25, roamed the corridors of the École Polytechnique at the Université de Montréal and killed 14 women.
Lépine separated the men from the women and, before opening fire on the classroom of female engineering students, screamed, “I hate feminists!”
The Victoria Regional Women’s Committee has committed to funding the design, fabrication and installation of the memorial. PSAC will be responsible for its maintenance.
City director of parks Kate Friars said a number of criteria were looked at, including the choice of a park where other uses would not be affected by a permanent memorial. The location is easily accessible and safe, and it can accommodate an annual candlelight vigil on Dec. 6.
“I think the committee is quite happy with the fact that it will be viewed 365 days of the year, not just on the memorial day,” Friars said.
Coun. Pam Madoff couldn’t have disagreed with Isitt more strongly, calling Holland Point a “poignant, moving location.”
“As a female who’s involved in these kind of issues, I find it’s an extraordinary appropriate location. It is so moving. It is so powerful to be down there near the water, to have thousands and thousands of people who are going to pass by this on a regular basis, who may not even know about this,” Madoff said.
“This is one of the most beautiful places in the city. To suggest it is somehow substandard in any way, I think is really unfortunate. I think it’s really extraordinary that this is where it is going to go.”
Coun. Charlayne Thornton-Joe called the location “perfect.”
“The issue of violence toward women is something that we need to be aware of every day, not on just that one day,” Thornton-Joe said.
“I think by having it in a very public place, [passed by] tourists, children, is a reminder to all of us that it’s unacceptable behaviour any day.”
