Mayor Mark Heyck and Lyda Fuller, executive director of the Yellowknife YWCA, pause for a photo in front of City Hall which was lit up with red lights in solemn commemoration of the twenty-sixth anniversary of the Montreal massacre which saw 14 women murdered because they were women. - Walter Strong/NNSL photo |
Candle, city hall lit for murdered women
Nearly 80 attend vigil marking 26 years since Montreal massacre
Simon Whitehouse
Northern News Services
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Tears flowed and passionate speeches were delivered to reflect the country's legacy of violence against women in Canada on the 26th National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women on Sunday.
Lorraine Phaneuf, executive director of the Status of Women Council of the NWT which hosted the event, said she was pleased with the nearly 80 people who showed up at the Northern United Place event. While the council marks the day every year to recall the 14 women who were massacred at Ecole Polytechnique and raise awareness about violence women face in society, she said this year had special significance as two new federal and territorial governments are ushered in.
"With a changing government at the federal level, I think it will open up lots of areas that we will be working on and money will become available again after extreme cuts over the last eight years," said Phaneuf, a day before the federal government released details about the first phase of the national enquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women and girls.
The Dec. 6 vigil included the ceremonial lighting of a candle to remember the 14 women killed in 1989 and a placing of the white rose among red roses to recognize missing and murdered women and aboriginal women of the North.
Phaneuf described the presence of Yellowknife MLAs at the ceremony as a positive signal. All but Caroline Cochrane, who couldn't attend due to a personal matter, were there.
Mayor Mark Heyck was also among the politicians present.
A new feature of Sunday's ceremony included a lighting of city hall in red. The inaugural initiative, titled Light the Night, was led by YWCA Yellowknife. Thirty-two YWCAs across the country lit monuments and buildings in red to remember the murdered women and those who continue to face violence.
Phaneuf said the lighting was an important symbol for the community.
"It means a lot because it means (city officials) are taking it seriously," she said. "It means that they're trying to make a difference and that as a country we are recognizing that day as a day of remembrance."
Activist Gerri Sharpe said the red lighting showed there was momentum in the struggle to address violence against women. She also thought attendance at the Dec. 6 vigil has been "steadily growing" each year.
"It is definitely a move in the right direction," she said. "The important thing is that it shows it is a community issue and not just a women's issue."
Phaneuf said she remains disappointed the wage gap is not closing between men and women, even as more women are graduating from university and being hired.
Statistics show spousal abuse against NWT women is nine times higher than the national average, second-worst in the country behind Nunavut.
