In Sudbury, Carol Founier was found in a wooded area on Nov. 8, a victim of intimate-partner violence, police said.
On June 28, a recent graduate of the University of Waterloo stabbed three people in a gender studies class, which police described as a hate-motivated attack, and related to gender expression and gender identity.
On Oct. 23, a murder-suicide in Sault Ste. Marie that took the lives of three children — a 6-year-old, a 7-year-old and a 12-year-old — also took the life of a 41-year-old woman and the shooter.
Giulia Carpenter, executive director of SWC (formerly Sudbury Women’s Centre), spoke at the vigil and acknowledged the ongoing need to support those facing violence.
“Today as we commemorate the lives lost on this tragic day in 1989, we also acknowledge the countless survivors and pledge our unwavering support to those who continue to grapple with the repercussions of gender-based violence,” said Carpenter. “This event is not only a reflection of the past, it is a call to action for the future where equality and safety are non-negotiable.”
More than 30 people gathered to hear the speeches, which included Mayor Paul Lefevbre, who spoke of his daughter, who attends university in Montreal near Ecolé Polytechinque, and said every time he visits, he is reminded of the massacre.
“Sadly, violence against women is now a growing social issue, and gender-based violence and intimate partner violence are on the rise, particularly since the COVID 19 pandemic,” said Lefevbre. “And that’s troubling as research consistently shows that these cases are underreported. This violence can happen between strangers or between people who know each other, regardless of background, socio-economic status or identity and some women, girls and gender-diverse people, face an even higher risk due to barriers or discrimination based on their race, disability status or housing status.”
Marlene Gorman, executive director of YWCA Sudbury and Genevra House, told attendees that in Ontario, there are more women, gender-diverse people and children in need of emergency shelter than there are beds to offer.
“Across Canada, approximately 699 women and 236 children are turned away nightly, because shelters are full,” she said.
Gorman told Sudbury.com that due to a lack of affordable housing, the shelter tends to be a “bottleneck”, as women are staying longer because they don’t have safe, affordable housing to move into.
“Market rents are not affordable, and many women choose not to leave an abusive partner, because they can’t afford to live on their own,” she said.
Their decision to leave can also be affected by a lack of income, or avoiding the need to displace their children.
“Sometimes it’s cultural,” said Gorman. “Where it’s not acceptable within their culture to leave their partner no matter what is happening within their families.”
