The Female Eye Film Festival (FeFF) is a competitive international film festival established in 2001. It is Toronto ’s only international film festival geared specifically for women directors.
97-565: In 2001, Female Eye Film Festival was established and incorporated as a provincial not-for-profit organization in Toronto, Canada by founder and artistic director Leslie-Ann Coles, after she observed that women directors were a minority among filmmakers at the international film festivals she attended with her debut film, In The Refrigerator . Coles originally selected for FeFF the tagline, "FeFF flicks, not just for chicks", to underline that women-made films are not necessarily just for women. In 2005,
194-423: A trigger lock and stored in secure, locked containers. In rarer cases, section 20 of the act allows individuals to receive an authorization to carry, or ATC, granting permission to carry loaded restricted firearms or (section 12(6)) prohibited handguns on their persons for certain reasons specified in the act. These reasons are as follows: if the person is a licensed trapper and carries the firearm while trapping, if
291-719: A FAC, or a minor's licence. In April 2012, the Parliament of Canada enacted the Ending the Long-gun Registry Act to eliminate the requirement to register non-restricted firearms that had existed from 2001 - 2012. The requirement for all firearms owners to possess a valid firearms licence remained law. A 1996 study showed that Canada was in the mid-range of firearm ownership when compared with eight other western nations . Nearly 22% of Canadian households had at least one firearm, including 2.3% of households possessing
388-504: A PAL. The following types of firearm are classified as antiques if they were both designed and manufactured before 1898: The following guns are considered antiques if they were designed before 1898, regardless of manufacture date, making modern replicas free to possess: In the years immediately following the introduction of firearms licensing in Canada in 1976, the overall homicide rate did not significantly decline. Increases were seen in
485-505: A feminist. But she later claimed what she said was this "beautiful title" for herself. She also said that she believed the massacre was clearly an antifeminist act. The injured and witnesses among university staff and students suffered a variety of physical, social, existential, financial, and psychological consequences, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). At least two students committed suicide afterward, and left notes confirming that their deaths were due to distress caused by
582-449: A firearm but allows them to borrow a non-restricted firearm unsupervised and purchase ammunition. Children under the age of 12 that are found to need a non-restricted firearm to hunt or trap may also be awarded the minor's licence. This is generally reserved for children in remote locations, primarily aboriginal communities that engage in subsistence hunting. As of January 1, 2001, all firearms in Canada were required to be registered with
679-625: A handgun. In 2005, almost 3% of households in Canada possessed handguns, compared to 18% of U.S. households that possessed handguns. Also in 2005, almost 16% of households in Canada possessed firearms of some kind. As of September 2010, the Canadian Firearms Program recorded a total of 1,831,327 valid firearm licences, which is roughly 5.4% of the Canadian population. The four most licensed provinces are Ontario , Quebec , Alberta , and British Columbia . On May 1, 2020, in
776-460: A joke, but he fired a shot into the ceiling. After separating the students, Lépine ordered the estimated fifty men to leave the room. He asked the women whether they knew why they were there; a student asked who he was. He said that he was fighting feminism. One of the students, Nathalie Provost , protested that they were women studying engineering , not feminists fighting against men or marching to prove that they were better. He opened fire on
873-505: A mandatory gun buyback program , and impose restrictions banning the sale, purchase, importation or transfer of handguns (that were already restricted). The legislation would also ban toys – such as airsoft guns – that look like guns. On October 21, 2022, the Government of Canada implemented a freeze on handgun (that were already restricted and registered) transfers and proposed a gun buyback program. As of April 2024, collection of
970-563: A month long festival in Bellingham , Washington (US). The festival has grown into a well-known and well-respected international event: In the first year, 42 films were screened from 100 submissions, 70 percent local; in 2016, there were more than 500 submissions, and more than 90 films screened over 6 days, from all around the world. FeFF is accredited by the Canadian Academy of Film and Television. It has been voted as one of
1067-622: A new science building at John Abbott College was named in honour of Anne-Marie Edward, a victim of the massacre who attended the CEGEP before going on to university. In 2014, the Order of the White Rose was established, a $ 30,000 national scholarship for female engineering graduate students. The selection committee is chaired by Michèle Thibodeau-DeGuire , the first female graduate of École Polytechnique. The event has also been commemorated in
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#17327971678951164-692: A partial copy of the deleted federal firearms registry, and created a provincial firearms registry. The government of Quebec gave residents until January 29, 2019, to register non-restricted firearms within the province with the Quebec Firearms Registration Service (SIAF). Following the 2020 Nova Scotia attacks , the minority Liberal government under Justin Trudeau, announced a nationwide ban on "military style weapons" and " assault-style weapons ". Neither of these two classifications had existed previously under Canadian law, but
1261-583: A perimeter around the building and waited before entering the building. During this period, the gunman killed several women. Three official investigations severely condemned the emergency response. Following subsequent changes to emergency response protocols, police handling of the 1992 shootings at Concordia University , the Dawson College shooting in 2006, and the 2014 attack on Parliament hill in Ottawa were generally praised. In these incidents,
1358-470: A pre-university CEGEP (college) program in Pure Sciences in 1982, but switched to a three-year vocational program in electronics technology after his first year. He abandoned this program in his final semester without explanation. Lépine applied to the École Polytechnique in 1986 and in 1989 but lacked two CEGEP courses required for admission. He completed one of them in the winter of 1989. On
1455-466: A public inquiry, and did not release Lépine's suicide letter. In addition, although an extensive police investigation into the perpetrator and the killings took place, the resulting report was not made public. The coroner was authorized to have a copy as a source in her investigation. The media, academics, women's organizations, and family members of the victims protested the lack of a public inquiry and paucity of information released. The gender of
1552-531: A restricted possession and acquisition licence (RPAL) to acquire and possess at a minimum. Canada's federal laws severely restrict the ability of civilians to transport restricted or prohibited ( grandfathered ) firearms in public. Section 17 of the Firearms Act, 1995 makes it an offence to possess prohibited or restricted firearms other than at a dwelling-house or authorized location, but there are two exceptions to this prohibition found in sections 19 and 20 of
1649-401: A semiautomatic handgun are limited to 10 cartridges. Magazines designed to contain centre-fire cartridges and designed or manufactured for use in a semiautomatic rifle are limited to 5 cartridges. The capacity is measured by the kind of cartridge the magazine was designed to contain. In some cases the magazine is capable of containing more than 10 rounds of a different calibre; however, that
1746-416: A staff member asked if she could help him. He left the office and was seen in other parts of the building before he entered a second-floor mechanical engineering class of about sixty students at about 5:10 p.m. After approaching the student giving a presentation, he asked everyone to stop everything and ordered the women and men to opposite sides of the classroom. No one moved at first, believing it to be
1843-459: A two-pronged " National Action Plan " consisting of an " Equality Action Plan " and a " Zero Tolerance Policy " designed to increase women's equality and reduce violence against women through government policy. Critics of the panel said that the plan failed to provide a workable timeline and strategy for implementation and that with more than four hundred recommendations, the final report was too difuse to make an impact. In Québec, family members of
1940-514: A valid firearms licence remained law. Though the Ending the Long-gun Registry Act applied across Canada, implementation of the law was temporarily delayed in Quebec , after the provincial government challenged the repeal in the courts. In 2015, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled against Quebec, entirely eliminating non-restricted registry records. However, the government of Quebec received
2037-676: Is distributed exclusively by the RCMP and is generally obtained in the following three steps: Licences are typically valid for five years and must be renewed prior to expiry to maintain all classes. Once licensed for restricted firearms (RPAL), an individual can request a firearm transfer for the restricted firearm; and an authorization to transport (ATT) for restricted firearms. People may hunt with firearms in Canada only with non-restricted firearms, and this requires an additional "Hunting with Firearms" course. Magazines designed to contain centre-fire cartridges and designed or manufactured for use in
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#17327971678952134-570: Is inadequate. As of October 2018, only two permits for protection of life were actively issued in the country. The vast majority of ATCs issued are to employees of armoured car companies to allow carry of a company owned firearm only while working. Restrictions are as follows: A category that includes several different categories of firearm designed before 1898, although not all firearms built before this cutoff date are eligible for antique classification. Guns considered antiques are not legally considered firearms, and can be purchased and owned without
2231-561: Is legal, it is very restricted. The Criminal Code recognizes self-defence with a firearm. The Firearms Act, 1995 provides a legal framework wherein an individual may acquire, possess, and carry a restricted or (a specific class of) prohibited firearm for protection from other individuals when police protection is deemed insufficient. This situation is extremely rare: the RCMP authorization-to-carry application refers only to protection of life during employment that involves handling of valuable goods or dangerous wildlife. While self-defence
2328-553: Is managed by the RCMP's Canadian Firearms Program (CFP), under the Deputy Commissioner Policing Support Services (PSS). There are three classes of firearms and firearm licences: non-restricted, restricted, and prohibited. Prohibited firearms are not forbidden outright, as the name might imply, but their legal possession and acquisition are dependent upon their registration history and an individual's firearm licence. As of December 1, 1998,
2425-517: Is not relevant in the determination of the maximum permitted capacity. The maximum permitted capacity of a magazine is determined by the kind of firearm it is designed or manufactured for and not the kind of firearm that might actually use it. As a consequence, the maximum permitted capacity remains the same regardless of which firearm it might be used in. Example: The Marlin Camp carbine chambered for .45 ACP uses magazines designed and manufactured for
2522-510: Is now widely regarded as an act of misogynist terrorism and representative of wider societal violence against women. The anniversary of the massacre is commemorated annually as the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women . The gunman had said he was against feminism; after the attack, Canadians debated various interpretations of the events, their significance, and the shooter's motives. Some interpretations noted that
2619-502: Is rarely considered a legal reason for attaining a PAL, the use of force with a firearm is legal as long as the accused can prove that their life was in danger. Sections 34 and 35 of the Criminal Code provide the legal framework of the use of force against intruders. Like licences, firearms are classified into prohibited, restricted and non-restricted categories, as defined by Part III of the Criminal Code . The correct licence
2716-424: Is required to acquire and possess the category of firearm (PAL for non-restricted, RPAL for restricted, Prohib 12.x for prohibited). A prohibited firearm requires a prohibited-class ( grandfathered ) possession and acquisition licence to acquire and possess at a minimum. The licences will indicate which categories the individual or business has been grandfathered into. ( 12.2 , 12.3, 12.4, 12.5, 12.6, 12.7) Requires
2813-479: The Canadian Army during the winter of 1980–1981. According to his 1989 suicide letter found on his body at the attacks, he was rejected because he was "anti-social". The brief biography of the shooter that police released the day after the killings described him as intelligent but troubled. He disliked feminists, career women, and women in traditionally-male occupations, such as the police force. He began
2910-627: The Canadian Firearms Registry . Unlike restricted-class firearms, in order to legally own a fully automatic firearm in Canada the prohibited-class firearm needs to not only have a current registration but must also have been registered prior to 1978 . The repeal of the long-gun registry had been a long-standing campaign promise of the Conservative Party . In early 2006, the Conservative Party became
3007-476: The Criminal Code between the 1890s and the 1970s introduced a series of controls on firearms, including registration of handguns, and later, registration of fully automatic firearms. In the late 1970s, additional controls were introduced, followed by additional increases in controls in the mid-1990s. The following is a summary of the history of gun control laws in Canada: All licensing and registration
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3104-524: The M1911 pistol , therefore the seven- and eight-round capacities are permitted. A similar example is the 10-round capacity magazine for the Rock River Arms LAR-15 pistol, regardless of the kind of firearm it is actually used in. Many common magazines are manufactured to hold more rounds than law allows in Canada. These magazines must be permanently altered so they no longer hold more than
3201-803: The Montreal Massacre , featuring films that pertain to global issues of violence against women. In 2005, the festival became competitive, presenting awards for several categories of best film and best screenplay. Later, a photo exhibition and Experimental Film Program were also introduced, as well as opening and closing galas. As part of its outreach efforts, FeFF curates programs, especially of Canadian women filmmakers, for various international festivals, such as KIN International Women's Film Festival in Yerevan , Armenia , Flying Broom International Women's Film Festival in Ankara , Turkey , and Doctober,
3298-469: The Montreal massacre , was an antifeminist mass shooting that occurred on December 6, 1989, at the École Polytechnique de Montréal in Montreal , Quebec . Fourteen women were murdered; another ten women and four men were injured. The perpetrator was 25-year-old Marc Lépine , armed with a legally obtained semi-automatic rifle and a hunting knife . He started at a mechanical engineering class at
3395-519: The National Assembly of Quebec on May 8, 1984. The text of the original letter in French is available, as well as an English translation . The massacre profoundly shocked Canadians. Government and criminal justice officials feared that extensive public discussion about the massacre would cause pain to the families and lead to more antifeminist violence. As a result, they did not conduct
3492-417: The magazine in his weapon and moved to the front of the class, shooting in all directions. The wounded Maryse Leclair asked for help; the gunman stabbed her three times with his hunting knife, killing her. He took off his cap, wrapped his coat around his rifle, said, "Oh shit", and killed himself with a shot to the head. It was 20 minutes since he had begun the attack. About 60 unfired cartridges remained in
3589-474: The École Polytechnique , where he separated the male and female students, ordering the men to leave. He shot all nine women in the room, killing six. For nearly 20 minutes the shooter moved through corridors on multiple floors of the building, the cafeteria, and another classroom, targeting women. He wounded more students and killed eight more women before fatally shooting himself. In total, he killed 14 women; he wounded 10 more women and four men. The massacre
3686-465: The "top 50 film festivals in the world worthy the entry fee" by the independent Movie Maker magazine six times (2013-2018). Award winners are presented with a hand-crafted engraved statuette. Awards presented include: Montreal Massacre 45°30′17″N 73°36′46″W / 45.50472°N 73.61278°W / 45.50472; -73.61278 The École Polytechnique massacre ( French : tuerie de l'École polytechnique ), also known as
3783-429: The "unloaded and secured" firearms that were reclassified as prohibited in "government-issued boxes" has not yet started with Canada Post reportedly informing the government of concerns about employee's security. In Canada, controls on civilian use of firearms date from the early days of Confederation , when justices of the peace could impose penalties for carrying a handgun without reasonable cause . Amendments to
3880-858: The Australian singer Judy Small . Firearms regulation in Canada Firearms in Canada are federally regulated through the Firearms Act , the Criminal Code , and the Canadian Firearms Program , a program operated within the RCMP . Regulation is largely about licensing and registration of firearms , including air guns with a muzzle velocity of more than 500 ft/s or 150 m/s and muzzle energy greater than 4.2 ft⋅lb or 5.7 J. Handgun registration became law in 1934, and automatic firearms registration
3977-504: The Coalition for Gun Control with Wendy Cukier to pressure for a gun registry and increased firearm regulation. Suzanne Laplante-Edward and Jim Edward, parents of one of the victims, were also deeply involved. Their activities, along with others, led to the passage of Bill C-17 in 1992, and C-68, commonly known as the Firearms Act , in 1995, ushering in stricter gun control regulations. These new regulations included requirements on
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4074-416: The abuse and sense of abandonment he had experienced in his childhood. Others framed the killer's actions as the result of societal changes that had led to increased poverty, powerlessness, individual isolation, and polarization between men and women. Noting the gunman's interest in violent action films , some suggested that violence in the media and in society may have influenced his actions. Following
4171-416: The act. Section 19 allows for persons to be issued an authorization to transport (ATT), authorizing the transport of a firearm outside the home for certain purposes, such as for its transfer to a new owner, going to and from a range , a training course, repair shop or gun show, or when the owner wishes to change the address where the firearm is stored. Such firearms must be transported unloaded, equipped with
4268-520: The arts. The critically acclaimed movie Polytechnique , directed by Denis Villeneuve , was released in 2009 and caused discussion over the desirability of reliving the tragedy in a mainstream film. In a play about the shootings by Adam Kelly called The Anorak , the audience are separated by gender: it was named as one of the best plays of 2004 by the Montreal Gazette . Colleen Murphy's play The December Man (L'homme de décembre)
4365-455: The boxes he carried with him. Emergency response to the shootings was harshly criticized for failures to protect the students and staff. Security guards at the École Polytechnique were poorly trained, organized and equipped. Communication issues at the 911 call centre delayed the dispatch of police and ambulances, who were initially routed to incorrect addresses. The police officers were disorganized and poorly coordinated. They established
4462-414: The commemorative ceremony on the 25th anniversary of the massacre in 2014, fourteen searchlights have been installed annually on the summit of Mount Royal - representing the fourteen victims of the massacre. At 5:10 p.m., the time when the attack began, the name of each victim is read, and a light beam is projected upward into the sky. The event is attended by local and national leaders. In 2013,
4559-404: The corner of Decelles Avenue and Queen Mary Road , a short distance from the university, it includes the art installation Nef pour quatorze reines ( Nave for Fourteen Queens ) by Rose-Marie Goulet. Originally described as a memorial for a "tragic event", in 2019, the plaque was changed to reflect indicate that the attack was antifeminist and that 14 women were killed. Events are held across
4656-549: The country each year on December 6 in memory of the slain women and numerous memorials have been built. The memorial in Vancouver sparked controversy because it was dedicated to "all women murdered by men", which critics say implies all men are potential murderers. Women involved in the project received death threats and the Vancouver Park Board banned future memorials that might antagonize other groups. Since
4753-409: The day of the massacre, Lépine wrote three letters: two were sent to friends, and one was found in an inside pocket of his jacket. The police revealed some details from the suicide letter in the days after the attack, but did not disclose the full text. The media filed an access to information case to compel the police to release the suicide letter but were unsucessful. A year after the attacks,
4850-433: The effect of bill C-17 (primarily using data from Quebec) found that it was associated with a decline in firearm suicides, but that the rate of overall suicides did not change, largely because of a rise in suicides due to hanging, suggesting a substitution of suicide methods. Accidental death, of any kind, claimed 27.9 people per 100,000 in 2000. Of these, firearms accidents accounted for 0.3% (0.1 per 100,000), ranking below
4947-426: The emergency staircase and reloaded his gun. He tried to return to the room he had just left, but the students had locked the door. He failed to open it although he fired three shots into the door. He shot at other students in the corridor, wounding one, and approached the financial services office. There he shot and killed Maryse Laganière through the window of the door she had just locked. The gunman went down to
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#17327971678955044-480: The first-floor cafeteria, in which about 100 people were gathered. As he shot nursing student Barbara Maria Klucznick near the kitchens and wounded another student, the crowd scattered. Entering an unlocked storage area at the end of the cafeteria, the gunman shot and killed Anne-Marie Edward and Geneviève Bergeron, who were hiding. He told a male and female student to come out from under a table; they complied and he let them live. The shooter walked up an escalator to
5141-440: The goal of detecting, preventing and ending domestic violence . The massacre was a major spur for the Canadian gun control movement. Less than a week after the event, two École Polytechnique professors created a petition addressed to the Canadian government demanding tighter gun control; and more than half a million signatures were collected. Heidi Rathjen, a student who was in one of the classrooms that Lépine skipped, organized
5238-569: The government during the 39th Parliament but was not brought to a vote. It was opposed by the Opposition parties who together had a majority of seats in the House of Commons . Similar legislation was again brought forward in the form of private member's Bill C-391 during the 40th Parliament but was narrowly defeated on September 22, 2010. During the 41st Parliament the newly formed Conservative majority government again introduced legislation to repeal
5335-460: The gun less than a month earlier on November 21 in a Checkmate Sports store in Montreal, saying that he was going to hunt small game . Investigators learned that he had been in and around the École Polytechnique building at least seven times in the weeks leading up to December 6. The gunman sat for a while in the office of the registrar on the second floor. He did not speak to anyone, although
5432-446: The gunman's actions sprang from widespread societal misogyny, including tolerance of violence against women. Criminologists regard the massacre as an example of a hate or bias crime against women, as the victims were selected solely because of their membership in the category of women. The women targeted were interchangeable with other women. They categorize it as a "pseudo-community" type of "pseudo-commando" murder-suicide, in which
5529-761: The killings, a House of Commons Sub-Committee on the Status of Women was created. It released a report "The War against Women" in June 1991, which was not endorsed by the full standing committee. But, following its recommendations, the federal government established the Canadian Panel on Violence Against Women in August 1991. The panel issued a final report, Changing the Landscape: Ending Violence – Achieving Equality , in June 1993. The panel proposed
5626-411: The largest party in the House of Commons , and the new government announced an amnesty period of one year (later extended by a further year) in which licensed or previously licensed long-gun owners would not be punished for not registering their long guns. The legal requirement to register as set forth by law was not revoked; legislation to revoke the requirement to register long guns was introduced by
5723-525: The list of women) was subsequently published in the newspaper La Presse , where Pelletier was a columnist. In the leaked letter, Lépine wrote that he was rational and blamed 'feminists' for ruining his life. He said he was angry at feminists for seeking social changes that "retain the advantages of being women [...] while trying to grab those of the men". He referred to Denis Lortie , a Canadian Armed Forces corporal who had killed three government employees and wounded thirteen others in an armed attack on
5820-455: The massacre as a chance to unleash "insanities". Men's rights and antifeminist commentators state that feminism has provoked violence against women and, without explicitly condoning the shootings, view the massacre as an extreme expression of men's frustrations. Some antifeminists see the killer as a hero, glorifying his actions, and threatening violence. Male survivors of the massacre have been criticised for not intervening to stop
5917-408: The massacre as an antifeminist attack or solely violence against women. She asked why people were "diminishing" the tragedy by "suggesting that it was an act against just one group?" As predicted by the shooter in his suicide letter, some observers believed the event was the isolated act of a madman. A psychiatrist interviewed the gunman's family and friends, and examined his writings as part of
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#17327971678956014-476: The massacre illustrated a "culture of passivity" prevalent among men in Canada, which enabled the shooting spree. Male students and staff expressed feelings of remorse for not having attempted to prevent the shootings. This issue has been strongly rejected by the Polytechnique student community. Nathalie Provost , one of the female survivors, said that she felt that nothing could have been done to prevent
6111-487: The massacre. Nine years after the event, survivors reported still being affected by their experiences, though some of the effects had lessened. The massacre galvanized the Canadian women's movement, who immediately saw it as a symbol of violence against women . "The death of those young women would not be in vain, we promised", Canadian feminist Judy Rebick recalled. "We would turn our mourning into organizing to put an end to male violence against women." In response to
6208-442: The news, but critiqued the possibility of a grandfathering clause for the weapons as a danger to public safety. The feminist movement has been criticized for appropriating the massacre as a symbol of male violence against women. In 1990 journalist Roch Côté responded to the publication of Polytechnique, 6 décembre , a feminist memorial anthology, with an essay entitled Manifeste d'un salaud where he suggested that feminists used
6305-402: The number of rounds (5 for semi-auto rifles , 10 for pistols) allowed by law. Acceptable ways to alter a magazine are set out in the Criminal Code regulations. By law, a potential customer must be 18 years of age or older to purchase a firearm (non-restricted or restricted) or legally maintain possession of one. Minors 12-17 may procure a minor's licence, which does not allow them to purchase
6402-400: The perpetrator targets a specific group, often in a public place, and intends to die in "a blaze of glory". Individuals close to the massacre also commented: Lépine's mother wondered if the attack was symbolically directed at her , as some would have classified her as a feminist since she was a single, working mother. Survivor Nathalie Provost who, during and after the attack, denied being
6499-418: The person is in a remote wilderness area and needs the firearm for protection against wildlife, if the person's work involves guarding or handling money or other items of substantial value, or if the person's life is in imminent danger and police protection is inadequate to protect the person. The authorities almost never issue an ATC on the basis that a person's life is in imminent danger and police protection
6596-553: The police conducted rapid and immediate intervention, and improved coordination amongst emergency response agencies were credited with minimizing the loss of life. On December 6, 1989, the Montreal Police director of public relations Pierre Leclair briefed reporters outside the Polytechnique building; when he entered, he found the body of his own daughter Maryse among the dead. The Quebec and Montreal governments declared three days of mourning. A joint funeral for nine of
6693-443: The police investigation. He noted that the perpetrator defined suicide as his primary motivation, and that he chose a specific suicide method, namely killing oneself after killing others (multiple homicide/suicide strategy), which is considered a sign of a serious personality disorder . Other psychiatrists emphasized the traumatic events of his childhood, suggesting that the blows he had received may have caused brain damage, or that he
6790-411: The policy effectively moved around 1500 types of firearms from the restricted and non-restricted categories to the prohibited column alongside automatic long-guns. Though a buyback program is being formulated for these types of weapons, it is not currently expected to be mandatory. The issue of the legality of self-defence with a firearm in Canada has been the subject of controversy. While self-defence
6887-423: The prohibited clause must be grandfathered to acquire or possess prohibited firearms. See Classification of firearms below for complete details on prohibited, restricted and non-restricted firearms. Individuals who wish to possess or acquire firearms in Canada must have a valid possession-acquisition, or possession-only, licence (PAL/POL); either of these licences allows the licensee to purchase ammunition. The PAL
6984-523: The proportion of murders committed by methods other than shooting; but these homicides were less likely to involve multiple victims. From 1977 to 2003, Canada firearm homicide has declined from 1.15 to 0.5 per 100,000, while other mechanisms declined from 1.85 to 1.23 per 100,000. A comprehensive review of firearm control legislation found that studies on the effects of the 1977 bill C-51 and bill C-68 from 1995 on firearm homicide rates came to differing conclusions, but generally found that bill C-17 from 1991
7081-1001: The registration of firearms. The long-gun registry was abolished by the Harper government in April 2012, but the Quebec government won a temporary injunction, preventing the destruction of the province's gun registry data, and ordering the continued registration of long guns in Quebec. In March 2015, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled against Quebec, allowing the destruction of all the federal registry data, although Quebec created its own provincial gun registry to replace it. Since its creation, PolySeSouvient, with survivors Nathalie Provost and Heidi Rathjen as spokespersons, has continued to be active in lobbying for stricter gun control and safety in Quebec and Canada. In 2018 Justin Trudeau 's Liberal government introduced Bill C-71, which restored
7178-492: The requirement for sales of firearms to be registered, but PolySeSouvient denounced the proposed regulations as ineffective and incomplete. In 2020, in the wake of the mass killing in Nova Scotia , and while also citing the École Polytechnique massacre, Trudeau announced a ban on around 1,500 models of "military-grade assault-style weapons ", including the model used for the killings in Montreal. PolySeSouvient welcomed
7275-670: The requirement to register non-restricted firearms and to destroy the registry database. Bill C-19, known as the Ending the Long-gun Registry Act , passed both the House and Senate and received royal assent on April 5, 2012. Following the 2012 changes to the law, Canadians were no longer required to register non-restricted firearms. Further, existing public records kept by the Canadian Firearms Registry with regards to owners of non-restricted firearms were purportedly expunged. The requirement for all firearms owners to possess
7372-575: The shooter had been abused as a child, or suggested that the massacre was the isolated act of a madman, unrelated to larger social issues. The Canada legislature responded by passing more stringent gun control laws , and officials took other actions to end violence against women. The massacre also led to policy changes in emergency services protocols to shootings; for instance, that police would intervene immediately to try to reduce casualties. These changes were credited with later minimizing casualties during incidents of shooting in Montreal and elsewhere. This
7469-500: The shooter. In an interview immediately after the event, a reporter asked one of the men why they "abandoned" the women when it was clear that his targets were women. René Jalbert , the sergeant-at-arms who persuaded Lortie to surrender, said that someone should have intervened at least to distract Lépine, but acknowledged that "ordinary citizens cannot be expected to react heroically in the midst of terror". Conservative newspaper columnist Mark Steyn suggested that male inaction during
7566-522: The shootings at Dawson College in September 2006, Globe and Mail columnist Jan Wong suggested that Lépine may have felt alienated from Quebec society as he was the child of an immigrant; this provoked controversy as Canada has received numerous immigrants . In the years since, however, the attack has been widely acknowledged by the public, governments, and the media as a misogynistic attack on women and on feminism. Scholars believe that
7663-409: The students, from left to right, killing six—Hélène Colgan, Nathalie Croteau, Barbara Daigneault, Anne-Marie Lemay, Sonia Pelletier, and Annie St-Arneault—and wounding three others, including Provost. The gunman continued into the second-floor corridor and wounded three students before entering another room where he twice attempted to shoot a female student. When his weapon failed to fire, he entered
7760-545: The tagline "Always Honest, Not Always Pretty" was coined, when Coles was asked to describe the festival offering. The inaugural festival took place a year later, at which 42 films were screened, mostly by local directors. Between 2002 and 2004, the festival began introducing programs to promote filmmaking by and about women, including the Script Development Program and the December 6 Program, in memory of
7857-502: The third floor, where he shot and wounded one female and two male students in the hallway. He entered another classroom and told the men to "get out", shooting and wounding Maryse Leclair, who was giving a presentation at the front of the classroom. He fired on students in the front row, killing Maud Haviernick and Michèle Richard, who were trying to escape the room. Other students dove under their desks. The killer wounded another three female students and killed Annie Turcotte. He changed
7954-408: The three-page statement was leaked to journalist and feminist Francine Pelletier . It contained a list of nineteen Quebec women whom Lépine labeled as "radical feminists" and apparently intended to kill. The list included Pelletier, plus a union leader, a politician, a TV figure, and six police officers who the gunman knew from their playing together on an amateur volleyball team. The letter (without
8051-411: The tragedy and that her fellow students should not feel guilty. Asmaa Mansour, another survivor, emphasized the actions of the men in saving her life and in helping the injured. Since 1991, the anniversary of the massacre has been designated the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women , intended as a call to action against discrimination against women. A White Ribbon Campaign
8148-531: The training of gun owners, screening of firearm applicants, 28-day waiting period on new applicants, rules concerning gun and ammunition storage, the registration of all firearms , magazine capacity restrictions for centre-fire semi automatics , and firearm restrictions and prohibitions. In 2009, survivors of the massacre, their families, and Polytechnique students past and present came together to create PolySeSouvient in opposition to legislative actions by Stephen Harper 's Conservative government aimed at ending
8245-497: The two. When Gamil was seven, his parents separated; his father ceased contact with his children soon after. His mother returned to nursing to support the family; because of her schedule, the children lived with other families during the week. At age 14, Gamil changed his name to "Marc Lépine", citing his hatred of his father and taking his mother's surname to further separate from the man. He had difficulty as he advanced in school and toward adulthood. Lépine had attempted to join
8342-501: The victims formed a foundation to support organizations combatting violence, particularly violence against women. It has continued throughout all levels of society. Survivors and their relatives have continued to speak about the issue. Researchers increased their study of family violence and violence against women. On December 6, 1995, the Quebec government adopted the "Policy on Intervention in Conjugal Violence " with
8439-553: The victims, as well as Lépine's oral statements during the massacre and in the suicide note, have resulted in the attack being interpreted as antifeminist and as an example of the wider issue of violence against women in Canadian society. Initially, politicians and the media downplayed the antifeminism angle of the attack. Political leaders such as Robert Bourassa , Claude Ryan , and Jacques Parizeau spoke about "victims" and "youth" rather than "women" or "girls". The television journalist Barbara Frum , pleaded against interpreting
8536-498: The wake of a mass killing in Nova Scotia , Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that the Government of Canada would immediately reclassify as prohibited around 1,500 models of "military-grade assault-style weapons ", mostly semi-auto rifles , via an order in council under the authority of the Criminal Code . In May 2022, Trudeau announced new legislation that would ban the ownership of "military-style assault weapons" in
8633-466: The women was held at Notre-Dame Basilica on December 11, 1989, and was attended by Governor General Jeanne Sauvé , Prime Minister Brian Mulroney , Quebec premier Robert Bourassa , and Montreal mayor Jean Doré , along with thousands of other mourners. Lépine killed 14 women (12 engineering students, one nursing student, and one employee of the university) and injured 14 others, 10 women and four men. Marc Lépine (born Gamil Rodrigue Liass Gharbi)
8730-453: Was psychotic , having lost touch with reality as he tried to erase the memories of a brutal (yet largely absent) father while unconsciously identifying with a violent masculinity that dominated women. A different theory was that the shooter's childhood experiences of abuse led him to feel victimized as he faced losses and rejections in his later life. His mother wondered whether her son might have suffered from attachment disorder , due to
8827-430: Was added in 1951. In 1969, laws classified firearms as "non-restricted", "restricted", and "prohibited". Starting in 1979, people who wished to acquire firearms were required to obtain a firearms acquisition certificate (FAC) from their local police agency. From 1995 to present, all firearms owners are required to possess a firearms licence—either a possession and acquisition licence (PAL), a possession-only licence (POL),
8924-571: Was first staged in Calgary in 2007. Wajdi Mouawad 's 2007 play Forêts was inspired by and contains echoes of the tragedy. In 2009 Quebec playwright Gilbert Turp wrote Pur chaos du désir , which examined a marriage breakdown in the aftermath of the Polytechnique killings. Several songs have been written about the events, including This Memory by the folk duo the Wyrd Sisters , Montreal by The Tragically Hip and 6 December 1989 by
9021-555: Was launched in 1991 by a group of men in London, Ontario in the wake of the massacre, for the purpose of raising awareness about the prevalence of male violence against women, with the ribbon symbolizing "the idea of men giving up their arms". The Place du 6-Décembre-1989 in the Côte-des-Neiges/Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough of Montreal was created as a memorial to the victims of the massacre. Located at
9118-406: Was not associated with an overall reduction of firearm homicide. A 2011 study found no significant associations between gun laws passed and firearm homicide rates in Canada from 1974 to 2008. A 2020 study examining laws passed from 1981-2016 found no significant changes in overall homicide or suicide rates following changes in legislation. In addition, it also found that firearm ownership by province
9215-471: Was not correlated to overall suicide rates by province. As of 2010, shooting and stabbing represented the two most common mechanisms for homicide in Canada, each accounting for approximately one-third of murders. Overall suicide in Canada peaked in 1978 at 14.5 per 100,000, declining by 22% (11.3 per 100,000) by 2004. Several studies have found that the 1977 bill C-51 was linked to lower suicide and firearm suicide rates in Canada. Several studies examining
9312-463: Was the deadliest mass shooting in Canada until the 2020 Nova Scotia attacks more than 30 years later, which resulted in 22 deaths. Sometime after 4 p.m. on December 6, 1989, Marc Lépine arrived at the building housing the École Polytechnique, an engineering school affiliated with the Université de Montréal , armed with a Ruger Mini-14 rifle and a hunting knife . He had legally purchased
9409-432: Was the son of Monique Lépine, a French Canadian former Catholic nun, and an Algerian father, who was a non-practising Muslim. He and his sister Nadia were baptized Catholic but received little instruction. According to the mother in a 2006 article, the father, a mutual funds salesman, did not consider women to be the equal of men. He was physically and verbally abusive to his wife and son, and discouraged tenderness between
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