14th annual event includes Selkirk’s BPW, the Selkirk Friendship Centre, Nova House and the City of Selkirk
The 14th Annual Community Vigil Walk took place last week in Selkirk. The walk recognizes the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women in Canada. It is coordinated by Selkirk’s BPW in partnership with the Selkirk Friendship Centre and Nova House and is hosted by the City of Selkirk.
The walk started at the Selkirk Friendship Centre and walkers held flameless candles as they made their way to the Selkirk Civic Office. Once there, members from Selkirk’s BPW, Nova House and the City of Selkirk spoke to why this event takes place.
Record Photos by Katelyn Boulanger
Mayor Larry Johannson spoke first. He made a land acknowledgement for the event before talking about changes that are being made in our community. A couple of weeks ago, members of the provincial government stopped into Selkirk to announce that the GPS ankle monitor program was going to expand into our area and would be a way to enforce restrictions imposed on alleged perpetrators of domestic violence while they are out on bail. With this program, survivors can use an application on their phones to connect with people who can track the ankle monitor and send help if needed.
Johannson spoke more about this program saying, “I know it’s not the end all to violence, and sadly, I don’t know if there ever will be, but this is a really, really important and a great first step in getting us on the road to a safer community and safer lives for those who that are threatened. So, I was really pleased to be able to go to that announcement and say a few words.”
The National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women was created by the federal government in response to the École Polytechnique Massacre, also known as the Montreal Massacre, that took place on Dec. 6, 1989.
Colleen Allan the Chair of our local Selkirk Business and Professional Women (BPW) group spoke next about the École Polytechnique Massacre.
“Over time, I’m finding that people no longer remember it, particularly people who are younger. They don’t even understand. They’ve never heard of it. They’ve never observed it. I want to really reinforce the importance of the observance. This was important because the Montreal Massacre was an anti-feminist mass shooting that occurred on Dec. 6, 1989, at the École Polytechnic in Montreal, Que. Fourteen women were murdered, another 10 women and four men were injured,” she explained.
At the time of the massacre Allan herself was in Ottawa, Ont. and she says that it was a shock.
Allan explained that the perpetrator separated men and women in a room shooting the women before going through the school for 20 minutes targeting additional women before he shot himself.
“The Canadian Parliament responded by passing more stringent gun control laws, and officials took other actions to end violence against women. The massacre also led to policy changes in emergency services and protocols for shootings. For instance, the police would intervene immediately to try to reduce casualties,” said Allan.
This was the deadliest mass shooting in Canada up until the 2020 Nova Scotia Attacks.
“The importance is, this was the first time it was acknowledged that women were killed because they were women, nothing else. And, we’re seeing today a move to label it what it is, and that is femicide,” said Allan.
Cst. Paul Human of the local RCMP detachment next came to talk about violence in our community.
“I’ve been doing this job for at least 24 years, all over Manitoba. I’m originally from Portage la Prairie, and I’ve worked from Lac du Bonnet to Thompson, and now here. Selkirk is now my home. Twenty-four years of dealing with domestic violence. It was a topic that was actually introduced to me way back in 2001. I’ve been doing this a long time, and if it shows on my face, I’m getting tired,” he said.
He explained that it breaks his heart that there were situations where the police were called out for domestic violence situations and he worried that the next call from that residence would be a call to investigate a homicide.
Human then spoke about how he deals with this heartbreak by being part of our community. He mentioned his volunteerism at our local Our Daily Bread Soup Kitchen and how that keeps him going.
Nova House Outreach Coordinator Dalyce Youzwa came up next to talk about the resources that they share to help women and children in our community affected by intimate partner, domestic, and/or family violence.
“I’m so truly honoured to be with you all here tonight as we take the time to remember the 14 women whose lives were lost on Dec, 6 of 1989. We also honour all the women who have been and continue to be affected by interpersonal violence, whose stories too often remain untold and unheard. Violence against women is not just something from the past, it is a very real issue in our communities today. This year alone, Nova House will support over 70 women and families with shelter stays. Our crisis lines take an average of 2,100 calls a year. Our mission at Nova House remains to support families to live a life free from violence. On this day of National Remembrance and Action, we renew our commitment to ending violence against women,” she said.
She then shared the story of local a woman with three children who utilized Nova House’s services last year with the woman’s permission. In the story, the woman explained that Nova House helped with the legal and emotional issues that were involved with leaving her domestic violence situation. The woman said that through Nova Houses programming she learned that she was in a domestic violence situation even though she didn’t want to acknowledge it and she learned that there was a way out.
After Youzwa spoke Allan came back up and said a prayer to end the meeting.
