On Dec. 6, two University of Waterloo events will mark the anniversary of the day a gunman walked into Montreal's Ecole Polytechnique and killed 14 women. The shocking act of violence deepened Mary Wells' drive to be an advocate for women in engineering.
Mary Wells was just beginning her career when she heard the news that 14 young women had been gunned down at Montreal’s Ecole Polytechnique.
It was December 6, 1989 and while all Canadians were horrified to learn that a gunman walked into the engineering school and specifically targeted women, for Wells, the tragedy struck very close to home. In addition to being almost the same age as the victims, Wells, now Waterloo Engineering’s associate dean of outreach, had grown up in Montreal and had studied, like most of the victims, mechanical and materials engineering in the city.
“It forever changed me and made me more of an advocate for women in engineering,” says Wells, who now leads several outreach programs designed to encourage girls to study engineering.
Wells will speak at a campus event on December 6 as part of the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. White ribbons are worn that day to show support for eradicating all gender violence.
“I think it’s very important to remember this day because it was such a profound event in engineering,” says Wells. “Young students today weren’t even alive when it happened.”
Two events will take place on December 6:
• In the foyer of Carl A. Pollock Hall the names of the 14 victims will be on display, candles will be lit and white ribbons will be given out between 11 a.m. and 12 p.m.
• The Women’s Centre is hosting an event starting at 11 a.m. Wells and Professor Shannon Dea, of the philosophy department, will speak in the multipurpose room of the Student Life Centre (SLC) starting at 11 a.m. People are invited to gather afterwards in the Women’s Centre in room 2102 of the SLC for discussion and hot chocolate
As associate dean of outreach, Wells plays a part in bringing more women into a profession. The Faculty of Engineering runs an annual event called Go ENG Girl for students in Grade 7 – 10. Another special event is a conference for Grade 11 girls, which puts students in touch with young women who are working in engineering. Sixty per cent of the girls who attended the recent Catalyst Girls Conference applied to engineering, says Wells.
“Engineering is a great foundational degree. It gives you the tools to make changes in the world,” says Wells. “It’s a people profession. It’s about helping other people.”
Dea, who will speak on the broader issue of gender-based violence, says it’s important to remember that young women attending university are in the age group that experiences the highest rate of violence in Canada.
Dea, an undergraduate student at Waterloo back in 1989, recalls hearing about the Dec. 6 tragedy: "I remember feeling really kind of numb and being astonished that these women were my age and it could have happened at any university."
