Monument to serve as important reminder

SUMMERSIDE - Fourteen names etched in stone of women who lost their lives in an unspeakable and horrific act of violence.
This Sunday, the 20th anniversary of the Montreal Massacre, a monument will be unveiled memorializing the young women who died at the hands of single a gunman at l'École Polytechnique.
The monument, funded by union members through the P.E.I. Federation of Labour, will be situated at Summerside's Heritage Park and Gardens.
"These women were killed because they were women. This act of violence changed so many lives. It changed our Canadian society," said Lori MacKay, the federation's vice-president of women's issues.
MacKay was a university student at the time, as were most of the women shot dead on Dec. 6, 1989.
"It changed who I am. I could not believe, that as a woman, I could be hated just for being a woman."
Although strides have been made to curb such violence more must be done, said MacKay. Establishing a permanent place for Islanders to go and remember the tragic events of 20 years ago is a start.
"It gives us a place to reflect on violence against women here on P.E.I."
Also remembered on the memorial are the P.E.I. women who lost their lives in acts of domestic and family violence, seven of them murdered since 1989.
The number of reported cases of violence against women on P.E.I. continues to steadily rise, said Norma McColeman, regional outreach co-ordinator with East Prince Family Violence Prevention Services.
And still, countless women suffer in silence.
"We hear about the ones that are reported but for every number that is reported, there are many more that go unreported," said McColeman.
Income, employment, availability of affordable housing, transportation and child-care are issues that can prevent a woman from reporting domestic violence.
Currently, there is only one centralized women's shelter in the province. There are temporary housing options in each county but, said McColeman, if those are full it can be difficult to find a place for these women.
"Core funding is what the issue is," said MacKay. "If women have options, if they have the financial resources and they know their children are being looked after, they can make decisions that take them out of the violent situations.
"Until women have those options violence is not going to end."
The monument will be unveiled at 1 p.m.

nmacphee@journalpioneer.com