IN-PERSON EVENT — Public | All Ages | Free
In honor of the National Day of Remembrance + Action on Violence Against Women and the anniversary of the Ecole Polytechnique Massacre, CVAG and the Comox Valley Transition Society will host a vigil at CVAG Plaza on Wednesday, December 6. Everyone is welcome to join us for this event, which will include speakers, songs, lighting remembrance candles, and the traditional laying of roses.
VIGIL FOR THE NATIONAL DAY OF REMEMBRANCE + ACTION ON VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN | L’ECOLE POLYTECHNIQUE MASSACRE
A vigil with the Comox Valley Transition Society is hosted every year on December 6 at CVAG Plaza. December 6 marks the anniversary of the Montréal Massacre at L’Ecole Polytechnique, where 14 young women were murdered by a gunman who said he hated feminists.
On December 6, we remember:
- Geneviève Bergeron
- Hélène Colgan
- Nathalie Croteau
- Barbara Daigneault
- Anne-Marie Edward
- Maud Haviernick
- Maryse Laganière
- Maryse Leclair
- Anne-Marie Lemay
- Sonia Pelletier
- Michèle Richard
- Annie St-Arneault
- Annie Turcotte
- Barbara Klucznik-Widajewicz
The Government of Canada website states: “The National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women is about remembering those who have experienced gender-based violence and those who we have lost to it. It is also a time to take action. Achieving a Canada free from gender-based violence requires everyone living in this country to educate themselves and their families and communities on gender-based violence, centre the voices of survivors in our actions and speak up against harmful behaviours.”
THIS YEAR, the vigil occurs during the convergent program upholding one another at the Comox Valley Art Gallery. This comprehensive program of projects and community events, that unfolds over time, and includes: exhibitions | installations | cultural sharing | video programs | community conversations + art-making | activism events — empowered through intersectional discourse, vulnerability, and respect for each other. Community collaborations stitch together creative actions + cultural teachings + knowledge-sharing to instigate social change through a convergent program that explores the topics of misogyny, gender-based + racist violence, and resiliency.
FOLLOWING THE VIGIL, the community is invited inside the gallery to rest, stitch, and be with this day of remembering as an action of care and resiliency.
Thematic materials may trigger strong emotional responses. Elders | trauma care support | resources for finding community support will be available to visitors during gallery hours and at events.
CVAG spaces are accessible and programs are barrier free (no cost). DONATIONS: are appreciated and contribute to ongoing community interactive programming.
PUBLIC HEALTH CONSIDERATIONS: we ask that visitors choose not to visit if they are experiencing symptoms of colds and flus. Hand sanitation dispensers are available at CVAG. Wearing a mask is at the discretion of the visitor.