Kelowna vigil to end violence against women slated for Wednesday

| December 4, 2017 in Kelowna

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It's not an easy day for many people, but it's one that continues to be recognized as the National Day of Rememberance and Action to End Violence Against Women.

The Annual Candlelight Vigil will take place at the Sails in downtown Kelowna on Wednesday, December 6th at 6 p.m.

The annual vigil was spurred by an event on December 6th in 1989, when a man opened fire and killed 14 young women, simply because they were women.

The historical tragedy has become known as the "Montreal Massacre."

Since then, December 6th has become a symbol of the threat and violence in women's lives every day.

According to Statistics Canada, one in three women will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime and every week in B.C., more than 1,000 women are physically or sexually assaulted. 

"We must remember and then we must act," stated Olivia Hofer, Chairperson of the Central Okanagan Women's Resource and Education Foundation.

The vigil aims to bring peace to the friends and families who have lost someone, as well as remember the past so things are done differently in the present.

Students from Okanagan College's Women In Trades Program and the University of British Columbia Okanagan campus have collected photos and short biographies of women from the Okanagan which will be remembered on Wednesday.

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