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www.oakvillebeaver.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday, December 9, 2009 · 2 The Body Shaping Fitness Studio For Women Specialists in Women's Fitness & Weight Loss Pre-New Year's Special Buy now - don't pay until January 2010 Flexible Memberships available: 12 months 6 months 4 months No Initiation or Hidden Fees!!! Free Day Pass Please call us to tell us when you will be coming NIKKI WESLEY / OAKVILLE BEAVER IT COULD HAVE BEEN THEM: From left, Elise Waldron, Emma Smit, Jennifer Rooney, Jenna Wriner, and Diane Oliverira reflect during the National Day of Remembrance and Action ceremony at Sheridan College on Friday. **Includes all classes** Shockwaves still felt 20 years later Continued from page 1 GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE 183 Lakeshore Road W Oakville . e For more information, please call (905) 849-1919 (just east of Dorval Drive) · www.bodyshapingstudio.com NEW! Personal Training for Men This is training at its' best! Grand Opening Specials!! 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"On Sunday, Dec. 6, Canada marks 20 years since the Montreal Massacre plunged us into mourning and served as a wake-up call for more proactive education and measures related to violence against women," said Carol Goodrow, a counsellor from Sheridan's counselling services. "By gathering annually since, we not only commemorate the senseless loss of 14 promising young women in 1989, but we show determination to continue to address root causes and attitudes that perpetuate violence against women in our society." In a written statement, Sheridan President and CEO Robert Turner spoke about this sad truth. "Violence against women in this country and everywhere in the world is of pandemic proportions. This violence, unfortunately, is largely precipitated and perpetuated by men," said Turner. "This issue includes men whether we are inflicting violence or just impacted by it. We are husbands, brothers, fathers and sons. Some form of violence perpetuated against those we know and love affects us all. Let us declare ourselves to be completely intolerant of violence against women and dedicate ourselves to ending it in our community." Following the presentation. a procession of about 50 participants and onlookers slowly made its way outside to the Sheridan College Peace Garden. Created on Dec. 6, 2000, in memory of those murdered during the Montreal Massacre, the Peace Garden features 14 trees, one for every victim. As the procession reached the garden, the names of the 14 women were read out as a white rose was placed at the base of each of the trees. Genevieve Bergeron, 21, Nathalie Croteau, 23, Anne-Marie Edward, 21, Maryse Laganiere, 25, Anne-Marie Lemay, 22, Michele Richard, 21, Annie Turcotte, 21, Helene Colgan, 23, Barbara Daigneault, 22, Maud Haviernick, 29, Maryse Leclair, 23, Sonia Pelletier, 28, Annie StArneault, 23, Barbara Klucznik Widajewicz, 31. The solemn service and the moment of silence that followed reduced more than one person to tears. Long-time Sheridan employee Libby Simpson helped create the garden and remembers the motivation behind having a reminder of what happened Dec. 6, 1989 present at Sheridan all year long. "We were really trying to promote the idea that we have to change the way people behave," she said. "We don't want something like that to happen again." Simpson remembers the day of the Montreal Massacre as a day of shock, fear and terror even though she was in Oakville when it happened. "At the time, people didn't know if this was a one person thing or if this was going to start happening everywhere," said Simpson. "We didn't at first realize that he'd focused on women. We thought it was just someone who'd gone crazy. When we found out that he had targeted women that really hit home for a lot of us. I was here at Sheridan at the time, so being in a college environment as well made it all the more frightening." Student Union representatives Andre Fouad Guindi and Emma Alguire, who both read poems during the ceremony, are hoping the day's event will do more than just help people remember the massacre. "I hope they think about the way they go about their lives. I'm sure there were no abusers in the crowd, but people should think about the little subtleties, `maybe I shouldn't be saying that comment, maybe that thought is not appropriate.' The little changes are really what is going to change the big picture. That's how we start," said Guindi. "You have to have respect for everybody and you have to practice it everyday in order to keep moving forward," said Alguire.