When Dec. 6 rolls around on the calendar, am I the only one feeling the weight of conflicting anniversaries?

Subscribe now to access this story and more:

Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.

Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.

This year, events marking the Halifax Explosion in 1917 and the École Polytechnique massacre in Montreal in 1989 were held on different days and seemed to mitigate the heaviness of two violent days.

The wider Acadia University community gathered in a meaningful way to remember the loss of 14 female engineering students and 13 who were injured at the Montreal school.

Fourteen Acadia students, representing each of the victims, lit a candle in memory of each one. The names were read aloud, followed by a moment of silence to represent the loss that continues to be lamented.

On Canada’s National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence against Women, it felt good to know that the federal government just introduced the Protecting Victims Act. It’s aim, says Justice Minister Sean Fraser, is to protect victims and survivors of sexual violence, gender-based violence, and intimate partner violence, and to keep our kids safe from predators.

Violence driven by control is a kind of abuse........

© PNI Atlantic news