Overview
- Polytechnique Montréal scheduled morning wreath-laying and evening beams of light over Mount Royal, with an added beam for all victims of femicide and expected attendance by Prime Minister Mark Carney and other dignitaries.
- Universities in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia held vigils honoring the 14 women killed in 1989 while urging action on ongoing violence against women.
- Halifax advocate Sarah Rodimon pressed governments to sustain funding for frontline organizations that support survivors and prevent gender-based violence, noting Nova Scotia’s 2024 declaration of an intimate partner violence epidemic.
- A recent survey cited by researchers reported that 84% of women students experienced gender-based or sexual violence before post-secondary and 54% since, while a national survey found 11% experienced sexual violence on campus in the past year.
- Two years of survivor interviews described academic harms from sexual violence, including PTSD triggers in class, difficulty meeting deadlines during legal or mental-health crises, and isolation from campus life.