U of T Engineering commemorates the tragedy
Each year, we remember the events of December 6, 1989, to ensure the violence of the past is not forgotten, and in the hope that it will never happen again.
We mourn the loss and remember the lives of 14 women who were tragically killed in an engineering school because of gender-based violence. We reaffirm our commitment to fight the hatred and the misogyny that led to this tragedy, and we reflect on all those who have lost their lives, as well as those who continue to experience this violence today. In Canada, women, girls, trans, two-spirited and non-binary individuals and Indigenous women and girls continue to face unacceptable violence and discrimination.
Ending gender-based violence and ensuring the dignity, wellbeing and safety of everyone is a responsibility we all share. If you or someone you know is experiencing gender-based violence, please know that you are not alone.
You can find support through the listed resources.
The story of December 6, 1989
Trigger warning: Please visit the resources section if you are having difficulty reading this content.
In the afternoon of December 6, 1989, undergraduate students filled a fourth-year mechanical engineering classroom. A student presentation was being given. The neighbouring cafeteria and classrooms of the engineering school were busy with people including civil, chemical and metallurgical engineering students, along with staff and students from other programs. It was a Wednesday, and the events of the day were similar to a typical classroom or a building today at U of T Engineering, or any other engineering school in Canada.
But it was at L’École Polytechnique, in the city of Montreal, Quebec, that the unthinkable happened. The scene described above would change within seconds, and the lives of families, friends and strangers would change forever.
At about 5:10pm, a 25-year old man entered École Polytechnique armed with a semi-automatic rifle, a hunting knife and a suicide note. He entered that fouth-year mechanical engineering classroom and ordered the women and the men to stand at different sides of the classroom. Ushering the men out of the classroom, he then said to those who remained, "You're women, you're going to be engineers. You're all a bunch of feminists. I hate feminists."
He opened fire on the women. Six were killed and three injured. He then moved through the corridors, the cafeteria and another classroom targeting and shooting at women for the next 20 minutes before taking his own life. Overall, 14 women died — twelve engineering students, one nursing student and one employee of the university — and fourteen other people were injured, including four men.
The women who were killed had families, achievements, ambitions and dreams. Their lives were valuable and had worth. They had a human right to exist and live their lives in safety.
We remember and honour the 14 women
We say their names, publicly or privately, to honour these 14 women and all victims of gender-based violence.
Geneviève Bergeron
Age 21
second year
civil engineering student
She had just celebrated her 21st birthday. She had earned an engineering scholarship and also played clarinet and sang in the choir at the Montreal Symphony Orchestra. She was described as sweet, generous and bubbling with life.
Hélène Colgan
Age 23
fourth year
mechanical engineering student
She was graduating soon and had three job offers. She was known to always be juggling many projects with ambition and hope. She was planning to pursue a masters degree. Her best friend was Nathalie Croteau, who was also killed.
Nathalie Croteau
Age 23
fourth year
mechanical engineering student
She was three months away from graduating. She was outgoing and enterprising, with a passion for learning. She was to take a vacation and celebrate New Year’s Eve in Cancun, Mexico with Helene Colgan, who was also killed.
Barbara Daigneault
Age 22
fourth year
mechanical engineering student
She was to graduate a few months later. She has been a teaching assistant for her father, Pierre Daigneault, an engineering professor at another school. She was someone not bound by conventional limits. At age 7, she asked herself why she could never become Pope.
Anne-Marie Edward
Age 21
first year
chemical engineering student
She was known for being clever and loved to take on any challenge she could. She loved all sports and capsized the family boat 56 times in a row when trying to sail. She was buried in her school’s downhill ski team jacket.
Maud Haviernick
Age 29
second year
metallurgical engineering student
She had a bachelor’s degree in environmental design and worked as an interior designer creating habitats for community living before going back to school to fulfil her dream of being an engineer. She was also an artist whose mantra was “if you feel like going all the way, well, just do it”.
Maryse Laganière
Age 25
budget clerk for the engineering school’s finance department
She had just been married four months prior. She had 13 brothers and sisters and was looking forward to starting her own family as a newlywed.
Maryse Leclair
Age 23
fourth year
metallurgical engineering student
She was a top student at the school, and she had acted in plays in junior college. She liked British punk and new wave music and lived life unabashedly on her own terms. She was discovered dead by her father, who was a Montreal police lieutenant first on the scene.
Anne-Marie Lemay
Age 22
fourth year
mechanical engineering student
She chose engineering after a close friend lost the use of his legs as a teenager; as she helped him with his rehabilitation, she realized the importance of mechanical devices. She never dwelled on problems and was organized and studious.
Sonia Pelletier
Age 28
fourth year
mechanical engineering student
She was to graduate the next day with a transcript of straight As. Her intelligence stood out as she won every competition and secured every scholarship. She also liked to cook and teach others how to make pasta from scratch.
Michèle Richard
Age 21
second year
metallurgical engineering student
She was a strong student and was in the middle of presenting a paper with Maud Haviernick when she was killed. Her boyfriend was with her in that class that night. She had a calming presence, lived every moment intensely, and abhorred violence.
Annie St-Arneault
Age 23
fourth year
mechanical engineering student
She was in that classroom that night listening to a presentation in her last class before graduation. She had a job interview with Alcan Aluminum the following day. She wrote poetry and wanted to make the world a better place.
Annie Turcotte
Age 21
first year
metallurgical engineering student
Her intelligence won her a woman in science bursary. She was committed to nature and finding ways to protect the environment. She was light-hearted and a big hit with children. She taught swimming lessons for free to children with disabilities.
Barbara Klucznik-Widajewicz
Age 31
first year
nursing student
She was a whiz previously studying engineering, economics and food logistics. She spoke five languages and loved to help people. She and her husband came to Canada from Poland in 1987 because Canada seemed safe.
System-wide approaches in engineering to eradicate gender-based violence
Since December 6, 1989, programs, laws and policies have been created and implemented across the engineering profession for positive change. However, engineering as a discipline remains male-dominated and although improvements have been made, women continue to be marginalized.
We acknowledge the historical and ongoing systemic barriers women face and strive to break down those barriers to create a more inclusive and safe community for everyone. Until violence against women has been eradicated, we will come together each year to reflect on what further actions are needed.
The U of T Engineering Confidential Disclosure Framework
Initiated in 2021, in collaboration with changemakers in the Engineering Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Action Group and the Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Professionalism, it aims to open up conversations about incidents of harassment and discrimination so its victims are not suffering in silence and systemic issues can be addressed.
The framework is not a complaints process, so it has a lower emotional effort to access and helps remove fears of harmful retaliation that often prevents victims from coming forward.
The confidential process provides a safe place for victims to discuss what they are experiencing and feeling, learn about their human rights and rights under University policies, find resources and receive help accessing supports and resolutions to ensure their personal safety and wellness.
WISE (Women in Science and Engineering)
Implemented in 1989, the incorporation of WISE and the formal establishment of its worldwide chapters, including at U of T, grew strength of community between women in engineering.
Today the U of T chapter of WISE runs mentorship programs, high school outreach programs, national conferences and many other events for women and girls.
Research shows programming for women and by women has the most impact on youth as they transition into higher education.
Professional Misconduct in Engineering includes Harassment
Implemented in 2000 within the Professional Engineers Act, the Ontario law that governs engineering practice, the definition of professional misconduct was amended to include harassment and sexual harassment.
This change was made after challenges women engineers were facing were identified in a ground-breaking 1994 National Survey of Workplace Conditions for Engineers, and acknowledgement that engineering had been an unsafe profession for women for years prior.
The 30 by 30 Campaign
Initiated in Alberta by the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA) in 2010 and then adopted nationally by Engineers Canada, this campaign brings together engineering employers, colleges and universities, and regulators to support women in their education and careers.
Research shows that women choose to leave engineering careers because of its unwelcoming culture.
Today, just over 20% of all newly licensed engineers in Canada are women, and the challenge is to achieve 30% by 2030.
Actions you can take
Everyone can educate themselves and their communities, centre the voices of survivors in our actions and speak up against harmful behaviours.
- Visit the permanent memorial on Philosopher’s Walk (between Bloor St and Hoskin Ave, just west of Queen’s Park Circle) – 14 red oak trees with a large pink granite boulder. Created by WOMEN WON’T FORGET, a group of women united to express their grief and outrage, the memorial emphasizes the importance of remembering those who can no longer speak for themselves as their lives have been lost to violence.
- Learn the facts about gender-based violence — one woman or girl is killed every 48 hours in Canada
- Learn the statistics on violence against Indigenous women and girls
- Speak to your classrooms and communities between November 25–December 10, the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence, using the resources provided on this page
- Read how a Canada Research Chair’s community-led outreach model is impacting lives
- Host a guest speaker from a women’s, 2SLGBTQ+ or Indigenous organization
- Create a work of art depicting healthy relationships or what providing support to others means to you
- Know your U of T workplace harassment and violence policies and workplace complaints process
- Wear a white ribbon
- White Ribbon Campaign is a global movement of men and boys to end male violence against women and girls.
- The campaign began in Toronto in 1991 in response to the École Polytechnique massacre.
Further reading
École Polytechnique Tragedy (Montreal Massacre)
An article published by The Canadian Encyclopedia
Gender-based Violence in Canada
Learn about the Government of Canada’s actions to end gender-based violence.
Reclaiming Power and Place
The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (2019)
16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence Campaign & Digital Toolkit
Learn more about this annual international campaign that features a digital toolkit for raising awareness between November 25–December 10.