INUVIK
The first day of the polar night in Inuvik proved a fitting setting for a dozen people to mark the anniversary of the Montreal Massacre.

Laura Hicks, left, Robbie Joe, Roberta Cardinal and Kumari Karunaratne all attended the candlelight vigil Dec. 6 at Aurora College to mark the anniversary of the Montreal Massacre. - Shawn Giilck/NNSL photo

A candlelight vigil was held to remember the day when gunman Mark Lepine killed 14 young women at the Ecole Polytechnique in Montreal. On Dec. 6, 1989, Lepine went on a shooting rampage, injuring nine more people before killing himself.

Ann Kasook, the executive director of the Inuvik Women's Shelter, led the sombre event, speaking from the heart about her own experiences and the amount of violence she's seen in the Mackenzie Delta region.

She recalled one woman who was "axed" to death in the culmination of a long period of domestic violence. Kasook, along with Sheila O'Kane, also spoke of the abuse they suffered, both growing up and in adult relationships.

O'Kane spoke at some length about Lepine, who had a "horrific" background of child abuse that likely contributed to his murderous rampage. While that didn't excuse his actions in the slightest, O'Kane said it pointed to the unexpected effects of abuse, and the "vicious cycle" it can generate.

"Children learn what they live," Kasook continued. "Today I'm able to realize that a lot of things I went through in my life have become my tools. It's been really tough to see the violence against women.

"I had an aunt who was killed by her husband when she was ready to leave. She was axed to death. I had a really good friend that was also experiencing abuse and we would sit and cry together because we were going through the same things."

Kasook said that she has faith that violence "shouldn't be a part of our lives anymore."

"I strongly believe that together we can stop the violence," she said.

Melanie Adams, a staff member at Aurora College, told the few men present at the vigil that she "wanted to thank them for their attendance."

She said she also wanted to thank "all the men who don't participate in violence and who speak out against it."

Jonathan Wood, the student life and wellness co-ordinator at the campus, helped organize the event. He spoke seriously and passionately about the need to end violence of all sorts, but he also pointed out one of the conundrums of the issue, which is that Canada has so much less violence than it's southern neighbour, the United States.

He said at some point society needs to solve that mystery, and that will help resolve the issue of social violence. Wood said it's not simply the presence of firearms and other weapons that makes violence as prevalent as it is.

If that was the case, there would be far more violence in countries like Canada, which means there are deeper issues at play.

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