Students recognize day to eliminate violence against women

Jasper’s high school students marked the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women last Friday by taking part in a luncheon and candlelight vigil.

At noon, students dined in the upper curling lounge at the Activity Centre. Proceeds from the $5 tickets went to Amnesty International and the Jasper Food Bank.

Representatives from student council painted their faces white and refrained from speaking out of respect for women who are victims of violence and can’t speak for themselves.

Mental health worker Laurie Ann Reddick attended the luncheon to speak to the group about dating violence and to raise awareness that everyone can be affected by violence.

“Violence is at a high proportion for this age group,” Reddick said. “So I think it’s important to talk to kids about the realities.”

Ginette Marcoux-Frigon, executive director of the Community Learning Centre, hosted a candlelight vigil Friday afternoon in honour of the 1989 massacre at l’École Polytechnique de Montréal, in which 14 young women were targeted and killed. The day was established in 1991 by the Government of Canada.

“This was not a random act of violence,” Marcoux-Frigon said, amid flickering flames. “This man targeted the people he was going to kill.”

As she read out the names of the women killed, a student presented a red rose in memory. Before pausing for a moment of silence, Marcoux-Frigon thanked the students for coming and pointed out the massacre took place in 1989, before many of them were born.

“This gives us hope that we see so many youth attending,” she said. “You are the ones who are going to affect change in the future.”

The Jasper Adult Learning Centre also hosted Empowering Girls & Women in Guatemala, a Lunch and Learn workshop on Wednesday at the Activity Centre, in which Donnelly Hart spoke about a great volunteer initiative from a local woman who is making a difference in a third world country.