An important day in Canadian history will be remembered this Wednesday night in downtown Renfrew.
Community Outreach Specialist Janyne Fraser says that town staff and the Renfrew Public Library will host a candlelight vigil to mark the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.
December 6th was designated as the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women by Parliament in 1989, after 14 women were murdered at Polytechnique Montréal in what was at the time the deadliest mass shooting in the country.
Both Renfrew County and Renfrew Town Council declared violence against women and intimate partner violence an epidemic earlier this year as part of the inquest into the 2015 deaths of Renfrew County residents Carol Culleton, Anastasia Kuzyk, and Nathalie Warmerdam.
Fraser says community members are welcome to reflect on a growing concern across the Ottawa Valley.
The town will have candles available to the community for a donation in support of the Bernadette McCann House, which Fraser says is also slated to speak during the event.
The candlelight vigil gets underway in Renfrew’s Low Square at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 6th. Town staff note that the event will include a moment of silence outside before moving into the library, so dress for the weather.
(written by Kasey Egan)