MONTREAL — 1989 · Major Tragedy
The École Polytechnique Massacre
On 6 December 1989 a 25-year-old man armed with a rifle entered the École Polytechnique, the engineering school affiliated with the Université de Montréal, separated male and female students in a classroom and opened fire on the women. Openly declaring his hatred of feminism, he continued through other parts of the building, killing 14 women and wounding 10 women and 4 men before taking his own life. The attack became a turning point in recognising violence against women in Canada. In 1991 Parliament declared 6 December the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. The massacre also helped drive stronger gun-control legislation.
- Date
- 1989
- Place
- Quebec, Canada, Montreal, CA
- Category
- Major Tragedy
- Case Status
- Closed
- Coordinates
- 45.5040, -73.6140 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 6 December 1989The gunman kills 14 women, then himself.
- 19916 December declared a national day of remembrance and action.
- 1995Stricter firearms legislation passed in Canada.
- 201930th anniversary commemoration in Montreal.
Sources
- The Canadian Encyclopedia — École Polytechnique Tragedy thecanadianencyclopedia.ca ↗
- Engineers Canada — Remembering the Montreal Massacre 30 years later engineerscanada.ca ↗
- Wikipedia — École Polytechnique massacre en.wikipedia.org ↗
- The Canadian Encyclopedia
- Engineers Canada
Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.