Shuswap residents honoured the14 victims of the 脡cole Polytechnique femicide, and local murdered and missing women during the United Against Violence Against Women Candlelight Vigil held Friday in downtown Salmon Arm.
This year's vigil, held at the Salmon Arm Art Gallery, was one of many to take place across Canada marking the 35th anniversary of the day 25-year-old Marc L茅pine murdered 14 engineering students in an a targeted act of gender-based violence.
The 14 women 鈥� Genevi猫ve Bergeron, Helene Colgan, Nathalie Croteau, Barbara Daigneault, Anne-Marie Edward, Maud Haviernick, Barbara Klucznik-Widajewicz, Maryse Lagani猫re, Maryse Leclair, Anne-Marie Lemay, Sonia Pelletier, Mich猫le Richard, Annie St-Arneault and Annie Turcotte 鈥� were in a class together at Montreal's 脡cole Polytechnique.
An additional 10 women and four men were injured in the massacre.
The assailant committed the murders with a legally obtained semi-automatic rifle and a knife. Locally, the vigil is also a safe space to pay respect to women who have suffered, and recognize the missing women across the region.
Following talks by guest speakers, each of the vigil participants carried a candle on a one-kilometre loop through Salmon Arm's downtown.
The event was organized by the SAFE Society, Okanagan College and Okanagan College Indigenous Services.
