Lights light up the sky on 33rd anniversary of Polytechnique massacre

“They deserve to live much longer than they had,” says William Fernet-Ducharme, who attended a ceremony where 14 beams of light were lit up in memory of the 14 women murdered 33 years ago at Polytechnique. Pamela Pagano reports.

By Pamela Pagano

Posted December 6, 2022 9:57 pm.

Last Updated December 6, 2022 11:32 pm.

Fourteen beams of light are lighting up Montreal’s sky on Mount-Royal Tuesday night, in memory of the 14 women murdered 33 years ago on December 6, 1989, at Polytechnique.

“I’ll never forget it,” said David Gutnick. “I worked that night up on the hill next to the Polytechnique.”

“I think it’s so important to remember every one of those women,” said Loreen Pindera.

Gutnick and Pindera are both former journalists who remember vividly the night the Polytechnique shooting happened. Every year on the evening of December 6th – they make it a point to stop and reflect – but it’s not just on this day that they remember the victims.

“Every summer I ride up that hill to the Polytechnique and I stop my bike and I read the names and I got off the bike. And I think about that night and I think about the kids rushing out of the building. And then a couple of hours later, I remember the parents,” explained Gutnick.

Montrealers gather to honour victims on 33rd anniversary of shooting. (Photo Credit: Pamela Pagano)

Rain and fog seemed to blanket the city Tuesday night as families of the victims, community members, and elected officials came together as the lights were turned on, one by one.

“Thirty-three years ago may seem like a long time. Some of us, it feels like yesterday,” said Justin Trudeau at the ceremony honouring the victims.

“We still have a lot of work to do, and we have to do it together,” said Quebec’s premier François Legault.

Montreal’s mayor Valerie Plante adding, “there’s a lot of politicians, but there’s a lot of citizens here tonight because we need to be together so we can remember what happened.”

The beams pierced through the fog from 5:10 p.m., marking the time the first shots were fired the day of the attack and continued to light the sky over the city until 10 p.m.

CityNews spoke to some Montrealers that were at the ceremony.

“They deserve to live much longer than they had,” said William Fernet-Ducharme.

Elahé Machouf adding, “As a mother, I tell myself it could have been everyone’s children. And I sympathize very, very much with the parents.”

The moment of silence, an emotional one for everyone at the Mont-Royal chalet.

“This will not happen again because Montreal, Quebec, Canada, all of us, we’ve changed. And that’s a good thing,” said Gutnick.

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