Desbiens' Special Tribute To The Polytechnique Victims

35 years ago today a 25-year-old man irrupted in the Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal armed with a machine gun and opened fired. Why? Because he hated women plain and simple as his suicide note stated.

In his rampage throughout the school, he killed 14 women, 13 of which were students and one who was an administrative assistant. These women died for no other reason than being at the wrong place at the wrong time and every year in Montreal, there is a ceremony to commemorate their memory and to remember where misogynistic ideas can lead.

This year, Montreal Victoire goaltender Ann-Renee Desbiens has decided to pay tribute to the victims on her brand new mask. Her bucket features 14 ray of lights shinning down on the city.

It's a wonderful gesture from Desbiens to ensure that we never forget Genevieve Bergeron (21 years old), Helene Colgan (23 years old), Nathalie Croteau (23 years old), Barbara Daigneault (22 years old), Anne-Marie Edward (21 years), Maud Haviernick (29 years old), Barbara Klucznik-Widajewicz (31 years old), Maryse Laganiere (25 years old), Maryse Leclair (23 years old), Anne-Marie Lemay (22 years old), Sonia Pelletier (28 years old), Michele Richard (21 years old), Annie St-Arneault (23 years old), and Annie Turcotte (20 years old). 13 other people were injured in the tragedy and four more committed suicide following the events.

We've come a long way since 1989 and the place in women in society has evolved greatly, but it's still important to push forward and give women and equality the place it deserves in today's world.

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