Mr. Speaker, 25 years ago, on December 6, 1989, a horrific crime took place: 14 young women at l'École Polytechnique de Montréal were brutally murdered. On that awful day, their lives were senselessly ended, along with the hopes and dreams they had for the future. In shared sorrow, families across our country hugged their daughters a little tighter that night.
The tragic events of that day brought a new focus in our society on violence against women, yet well over two decades have passed since then, and many challenges still remain. Sadly, Status of Women Canada must continue to focus on initiatives to address gender-based violence across the country. This includes engaging men and boys to understand that gender-based violence is not acceptable or normal behaviour. While we cannot and probably never will be able to make sense of the crimes of that day, we must continue working to ensure that they never happen again.
On this anniversary, let us resolve to respect one another and value each other as equals.