On December 6, UFCW Canada Local 1006A activists, staff and officers came together together at a Shoe Memorial for the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. Filled with donated shoes from 1006A members, activists and staff, the Memorial took place at Mississauga Civic Centre’s Great Hall.
The lives of 14 young women were brutally cut short on December 6, 1989 when a lone gunman entered their college, Ecole Polytechnique, and shot them dead. He wounded 14 others, including 10 women and four men.
The events of December 6, 1989 would come to be known as the Montreal Massacre. Today, December 6 is annually observed across Canada as the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.
"Ending violence against women starts with all of us, raising awareness and taking action in our communities. Our daughters, sisters, mothers, wives, and friends deserve to be safe in their homes, communities and workplaces,” said President Wayne Hanley. “I want to thank our members, activists and staff for supporting this memorial by donating shoes and many other items. Together, we will end violence against women."
"The memorial was a powerful tribute to the women who have lost their lives to violence," said Glacier Effs-Samuel, Coordinator of the Women's Issues Network (WIN).
Members, and stewards, along with the local union’s Women’s Issues Network (WIN), collected hundreds of shoes, purses and toiletries. The display of shoes served as a symbolic remembrance of all the women who have lost their lives to violence. Following this year’s campaign, the shoes will be donated to a Women’s Shelter in the GTA. 1006A will also be participating in the #NotOkay campaign, a campaign to help end violence against women. On December 6, we encourage members to utilize the hashtag, #NotOkay, to raise awareness about this important issue.
The statistics are sobering. The Canadian Women’s Foundation reports that “67% of all Canadians say they personally know at least one woman who has been sexually or physically assaulted.” Every six days on average, the foundation notes that “a woman in Canada is killed by her intimate partner.”
Join us as we raise our voices to say violence against women is #NOTOKAY
