Season Two analyzes the horrific events taken place on December 6, 1989 at the École Polytechnique,
25 year old Marc Lepine ended up committing one of the worst mass shootings in Canadian History by shooting
28 people, killing 14 innocent women.
Written and edited by: Abdallah Alnajdawi, Deji Dotun,Suchismita Chakraborty,
Jasdeep Lally, Summer Medeiros, and Hibba Nawaz.
The Ecole Polytechnique, also known as the Montreal Massacre was a mass shooting that took place on
December 6, 1989, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. About fourteen young women were murdered and 13 other people
were injured by the infamous Marc Lepine. Lepine was a man of few words but had a lot of hatred built up
for those who he believed had done wrong. The Ecole Polytechnique tragedy will remain a reminder to not only
the victims and their families but to everyone as an event that changed history on action and violence against
women. With our condolences, we will now begin to show you what it was like being in Montreal, Canada a few days
leading up to the shooting, during the shooting which took place, and the aftermath of the tragedy.
Citations
Baanetland. (2009, October 20). Retrieved January 17, 2019, from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAAlDoAtV7Y
Bindel, Julie. (2012, December 3). The Montreal massacre: Canada’s feminist remember.The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/dec/03/montreal-massacre-canadas-feminists-remember
Blanco, J. N.d. Marc Lepine. Murderpedia. Retrieved from: http://murderpedia.org/male.L/l/lepine-marc.htm
Campbell, H. (2018, December 5). Montreal Massacre 29-years later: Say their names.Remember. Take action. Inside Ottawa Valley.com Retrieved from: https://www.insideottawavalley.com/news-story/7978294-montreal-massacre-29-years-later-say-their-names-remember-take-action-/
Carpenter, P. (2006, September 15). Opinion from the archives: Police have learned Polytechnique lessons. Montreal Gazette. Retrieved from: https://montrealgazette.com /news/local-news/opinion-from-the-archives-police-have-learned-polytechnique-lessons
CBC. (1999, December 1). Montreal Massacre: Legacy of Pain. Retrieved from: https://www.cbc.ca/fifth/episodes/40-years-of-the-fifth-estate/montreal-massacre-a-legacy-of-pain
CBC. (2017, December 17). This is how one survivor described the Montreal Massacre the day after the shooting. Retrieved from: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/as-it-happens wednesday-edition-1.4435607/this-is-how-one-survivor-described-the-montreal-massacre-the-day-after-the-shooting-1.4435613
Diarmani. N.d. Montreal Coroners Report. [PDF File]. Retrieved from: http://www.diarmani.com/Montreal_Coroners_Report.pdf
Eglin, P. & Hester, S. N.d. The Montreal Massacre. Book Work Portfolio. [PDF File]. Retrieved from http://www.bookworkpjw.ca/images_book_pdfs/eglin_sample.pdf
Lanthier, Stéphanie. (2018, October 12).Polytechnique Tragedy. The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/polytechnique-tragedy.
OhTeenEpicness. (2012, March 12). Retrieved January 17, 2019, from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGmlSWYpyzQ
Rebick, J. (2009, December 6). What was the impact of the Montreal Massacre? Remembering from Montreal at feminist gathering. Rabbel.ca. Retrieved froom: http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/judes/2009/12/what-was-impact-montreal-massacre-remembering-montreal-feminist-gatheri
Shimo, Alexandra. (2015, December 6). Remember the Montreal Massacre. Chatelaine. Retrieved from https://www.chatelaine.com/living/remembering-the-montreal-massacre/
Vancouver Rape Relief & Women’s Shelter. N.d. Montreal Massacre. Retrieved from: https://www.rapereliefshelter.bc.ca/montreal-massacre
Words, L. W. (2017, October 10). Retrieved January 17, 2019, from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NksUf0xg9k
World, H. M. (2015, April 17). Retrieved January 17, 2019, from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpvjG2p-IiM
Zorychta, E. (2000, December). Acts of Memory - The Legacy of the Montreal Massacre. CAUT Bulletin Archives. Retrieved from https://bulletin-archives.caut.ca/bulletin/articles/2000/12/acts-of-memory-the-legacy-of-the-montreal-massacre
Written and edited by: Agamjot Malhi, Gabriel Machado,Joshua Smith, Menzie Tress, and Benjamin Yee
Interviews are conducted with members of Toronto Police Service regarding some details of the
McArthur case, but the episode delves more into the specific detailed process of conducting
forensics during a crime event. Lead Detective Hank Idsinga from the Bruce McArthur case as
well as Detective Thomas Greer provide a fascinating view into how police use forensics.
Citations
B. (2014, April 02). Marc Lepine. Retrieved from https://www.biography.com/people/marc-lepine-235980
Canadian True Crime. (2018, July 07). 28/29 École Polytechnique Massacre. Retrieved from https://canadiantruecrime.ca/episodes/2018/7/4/2829-cole-polytechnique-massacre-part-1
Gleick, J. (2019, February 11). Richard Feynman. Retrieved February 27, 2019, from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Richard-Feynman
Pelletier, F. (1999, December 1). Montreal Massacre : Legacy of Pain. Canada: CBC Studios
Written and edited by: Vrinda Agnihotri, Riya Malik,Himisha Nagar, Krina Patel, and Tehjeev Sandhu
On December 6, 1989, 14 young females fell victim to Marc Lepine’s rampage at the Quebec Engineering school,
École Polytechnique. Marc Lepine repeatedly claimed all feminists had ruined his life as he went on to kill every
woman who came in his sight. Though many females in the institute did not identify themselves as feminists at the
time of the massacre, Lepine’s attack reformed the views of feminism in the minds of many women. Many of these women
went on to become public speakers, spreading awareness on the importance of mental health or raising their voices to
enforce stricter gun regulations to prevent such a tragedy from recurring. Today each of these women are recognized as
an influential part of our society as they continue to keep alive the legacies of their departed classmates.
Citations
A historic moment: Montreal massacre survivor joins Washington rally. (2018, March 24). CTV News. Retrieved from: https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/a-historic-moment-montreal-massacre-survivor-joins-washington-rally-1.3857489
Aiello, Rachel. (2018, December 3). Survivors implore Senate to pass gun reform bill despite
'loud' lobby resistance. CTV News. Retrieved from: https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/survivors-implore-senate-to-pass-gun-reform-bill-despite-loud-lobby-resistance-1.4202352
Bremner, J.D. (2006, December 8). Traumatic stress: effects on the brain. National Center for Biotechnology Information. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3181836/
Bryden, Joan. (2018, April 29). Canada's Gun Control Laws Could Become Big Issue For 2019 Election. HuffPost. Retrieved from: https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2018/04/29/canadas-gun-control-laws-could-become-big-issue-for-2019-election_a_23423138/
Diaz, Andrea. (2018, October 30). Generation Z reported the most mental health problems, and
gun violence is the biggest stressor. CNN. Retrieved from:
https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/30/health/generation-z-stress-report-trnd/index.html
Effect of School Shooting. (2018). Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute. Retrieved from: https://injury.research.chop.edu/violence-prevention-initiative/types-violence-involving-youth/school-shootings#.XD-WZ1xKhhF
Facts about 14 women who were killed at Ecole Polytechnique in 1989. (2014, December 5)
City News. retrieved from:
https://toronto.citynews.ca/2014/12/05/facts-about-the-14-women-who-were-killed-at-ecole-polytechnique-in-1989/
Fagan, Carolyn. (2018, November 25). The impact of Mass School Shootings on Survivors: What Parents Need to Know. PSYCOM. Retrieved from:
https://www.psycom.net/mental-health-wellbeing/school-shooting-survivor-mental-health
From the Montreal Massacre to the Toronto van Attack: Why the reluctance to talk about male
violence? (2018, April 18). CBC Radio. Retrieved from: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/day6/episode-387-confronting-male-violence-art-vs-pipelines-bill-murray-stories-korean-families-divided-more-1.4634795/from-the-montreal-massacre-to-the-toronto-van-attack-why-the-reluctance-to-talk-about-male-violence-1.4634826
Heidi Rathjen fights for gun control in Canada. (2018, February 26). Global News. Retrieved
History of Firearms Control in Canada: Up to and Including the Firearms Act. (2016, September 7). Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Retrieved from: http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/cfp-pcaf/pol-leg/hist/con-eng.htm
Johnson, Steven. (2016, November 5). Gun violence survivor and witnesses could face lifetime of trauma and bad health. Modern Healthcare. Retrieved from: https://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20161105/MAGAZINE/311059989
Kielburger, M. & Kielburger, C. (2014, November 25). Montreal Massacre: A survivor’s legacy. Canada.com. Retrieved from:https://o.canada.com/news/a-survivors-legacy
Kuitenbrouwer, Peter. (2015, January 24). 'I heard the gunman say, "I want the women"': 25 years later and the Montreal Massacre still hangs over us all. National Post. Retrieved from: https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/i-heard-the-gunman-say-i-want-the-women-25-years-later-and-the-montreal-massacre-still-hangs-over-us-all
Laurin, Camille. (2014, December 1). 25 years after Ecole Polytechnique bloodbath, husband still fights for gun control. Toronto Sun. Retrieved from: https://torontosun.com/2014/11/30/25-years-after-ecole-polytechnique-bloodbath-husband-still-fights-for-gun-control/wcm/e771a945-b41b-40c2-828a-d5a2750e3c6
Liberals beef up gun control, roll back Harper government changes to gun law. (2018, December 6). HuffPost. Retrieved from: https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/women-s-shelters-canada/montreal-massacre-ecole-polytechnique-trudeau_a_23607411
Maker, AH. (2018, March 22). Helping kids cope with trauma of school gun violence. Psychology Today. Retrieved from: https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/helping-kids-cope/201803/helping-kids-cope-the-trauma-school-gun-violence
Montreal Massacre victims. (2009, December 6). CBC. Retrieved from: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/montreal-massacre-victims-1.797455
Naumetz, Tim. (2018, March 20). Liberals beef up gun control, roll back Harper government changes to gun law. iPolitics. Retrieved from: https://ipolitics.ca/2018/03/20/liberals-beef-up-gun-control-roll-back-harper-government-changes-to-gun-law/
Obendrauf, Pierre. (2014, November 24). Heidi Rathjen, in red dress, is a survivor of the Montreal Massacre and a long-standing advocate for stricter gun control laws. Photo: Pierre Obendrauf/Postmedia News. Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved from: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Heidi+Rathjen+dress+survivor+Montreal+Massare+long+standing+advocate+stricter+control+laws+Photo+Pierre+Obendrauf+Postmedia+News/10409804/story.html
Peritz, Ingrid. (2018, April 28). A survivor speaks. The Globe and Mail, Retrieved from: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/a-survivor-speaks/article1318516/
Peritz, Ingrid. (2018, October 25). Federal government pressured to ban handguns, assault weapons by Quebec activists. The Globe and Mail. Retrieved from: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-federal-government-pressured-to-ban-handguns-assault-weapons-by/
Rakobowchuk, Peter. (2014, December 15). Nathalie Provost, who was shot at Polytechnique, recalls tragic day. Global News. Retrieved from: https://globalnews.ca/news/1710154/woman-shot-at-polytechnique-recalls-events/
Remembering the Polytechnique victims. (2014, December 15). Montreal Gazette. Retrieved From: https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/remembering-the-polytechnique-victims
Scott, Marian. (2018, December 6). Polytechnique massacre: Lives forever changed. Montreal Gazette. Retrieved from: https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/polytechnique-massacre-lives-forever-changed
Simpson, Peter. (2009, September 3). The nightmare of Marc Lépine's mother. Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved from: https://ottawacitizen.com/entertainment/the-nightmare-of-marc-lpines-mother
Sullivan, Steve. (2014, December 10). Much has changed since the Montreal Massacre. Have we? iPolitics. Retrieved from: https://ipolitics.ca/2014/12/10/much-has-changed-since-the-montreal-massacre-have-we/
The 14 women who were killed at Ecole Polytechnique. (2014, December 5). CTV News. Retrieved from: https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/the-14-women-who-were-killed-at-ecole-polytechnique-1.2134006
Theriault, Anne. (2014, February 5). Since the Montreal Massacre, Not Enough Has Changed for Women. HuffPost. Retrieved from: https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/anne-theriault-/remembrance-violence-against-women_b_4399175.html
Tremblay, Mylene. (2014, November 26). For the killings to stop: Heidi’s fight. CHATELAINE. Retrieved from:https://fr.chatelaine.com/societe/pour-que-cessent-les-tueries-le-combat-de-heidi/
Vice-Chair of the Canadian Firearm Advisory Committee. (2017, March 3). Government of Canada: Public Safety Canada. Retrieved from: https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/cntrng-crm/cfac/vchr2-en.aspx
Written and edited by: Shantell Alexander-Hinds,Tamia Dainard, Monica Goheer, Harvir Sidhu, Karlee Tenant
This episode will delve into the purpose of the media is in events such as this. In addition,
it adds a modern perspective by analyzing the effect of social media and how it can change the
perspective of individuals from 1989 in comparison to those of 2018. Furthermore this episode
also focuses on the key topics that media outlets choose to speak on and how these topics affect
the audience as a whole. Overall, the media was and is indefinitely a determining factor of others
opinions on the massacre because media regulates and forms the stories people hear daily. Power, that
is what the media has.
Citations
Bradley, Maureen (2006) Reframing the Montreal Massacre: Strategies for Feminist Media Activism. Canadian Journal of Communication. Retrieved from: https://www.cjc-online.ca/index.php/journal/article/view/1869/3182
CBC News. (2018, December 6). 'I keep hoping': Manitobans mark anniversary of Montreal Massacre, day of action against gender-based violence. CBC. retrieved from: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winnipeg-montreal-massacre-memorial-1.4936118
Courtauld, Alice. (2014, November 8). How the media controls our perceptions of crime. Shout Out UK. Retrieved from: https://www.shoutoutuk.org/2014/11/08/how-the-media-controls-our-perceptions-of-crime/
Diebel, Linda. (2014, December 6). Two women on Marc Lépine’s death list speak out. The Star. Retrieved from: https://www.thestar.com/news/insight/2014/12/06/two_women_on_marc_lpines_death_list_speak_out.html
Hanes, Allison. (2018, December 6). Bright minds recall darkness of Polytechnique massacre. Montreal Gazette. Retrieved from: https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/bright-minds-recall-darkness-of-polytechnique-massacre
Maclean, Jesse. (2015, December 6). Understanding the 1989 Montreal Massacre as ‘lone wolf’ terrorism. Montreal Gazette. Retrieved from: https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/understanding-the-1989-montreal-massacre-as-an-example-of-lone-wolf-terrorism
Mercer, Juanita. (2018, December 6). Remembering the Montreal Massacre. The Telegram. Retrieved from: https://www.thetelegram.com/news/local/remembering-the-montreal-massacre-266170/
Morris, Ceris. (2016, March 22) Royal Commission on the Status of Women in Canada. The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved from: https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/royal-commission-on-the-status-of-women-in-canada
Page, Shelley. (2015, October 26). Page: How I sanitized the feminist outrage over the Montreal massacre. Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved from: https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/page-how-i-sanitized-the-feminist-outrage-over-the-montreal-massacre
Page, Shelley.(2015, October 26). How I sanitized the feminist outrage over the Montreal massacre. Retrieved from: https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/page-how-i-sanitized-the-feminist-outrage-over-the-montreal-massacre
Pelletier, Francine. (2014, December 4). What hasn't yet been said about the Polytechnique massacre. Montreal Gazette. Retrieved from: https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/what-hasnt-yet-been-said-about-the-polytechnique-massacre
Polytechnique massacre. Montreal Gazette. Retrieved from: https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/what-hasnt-yet-been-said-about-the-polytechnique-massacre
Petrowski, Nathalie. (n.d.). Seven minute life of Marc Lepine. Retrieved from: http://msepatterson.weebly.com/uploads/4/6/4/6/46465435/the_seven-minute_life_of_marc_lepine.pdf
Pratt-Campbell, Hollie. (2018, December 5). Montreal Massacre 29-years later: Say their names. Remember. Take action. InsideOttawaValley. Retrieved from: https://www.insideottawavalley.com/news-story/7978294-montreal-massacre-29-years-later-say-their-names-remember-take-action-/
Lambert, Maude-Emmanuel. (2015, March 15) The École Polytechnique Tragedy: Beyond the Duty of Remembrance. The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved from: https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/se-souvenir-de-la-tragedie-de-polytechnique-au-dela-du-devoir-de-memoire
Lepine, Marc. (1989,December 6). Letter of Marc Lépine . Retrieved from: http://files.crimescenedb.com/pdf/Letter-of-Marc-Lepine.pdf
Ribick, Judy. (2009, December 6) What was the impact of the Montreal Massacre? Remembering from Montreal at feminist gathering. Rabble. Retrieved from: http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/judes/2009/12/what-was-impact-montreal-massacre-remembering-montreal-feminist-gatheri
Sandanger, Linncecilie (2018, April 6) “I hate feminists”- The 1989 Polytechnique massacre and the Royal Commission on the statues of the women in Canada. Mcgill Blogs. Retrieved from: https://blogs.mcgill.ca/hist203momentsthatmatter/2018/04/06/i-hate-feminists-the-1989-polytechnique-massacre-and-the-royal-commission-on-the-statues-of-the-women-in-canada/
The Fifth Estate. (1999, December 1). Montreal Massacre : Legacy of Pain. CBC News. Retrieved from: https://www.cbc.ca/fifth/episodes/40-years-of-the-fifth-estate/montreal-massacre-a-legacy-of-pain
User, S. (2018). Creating Racists: Thank you, News. Thank you, Social Media. Thank you, Trump. Retrieved from: https://understandmedia.com/media-literacy-basics/12-the-purpose-of-the-media
Woodward, Laura. (2018, December 6). Sask. Polytechnic remembers victims of Montreal massacre. CTV News Saskatoon. Retrieved from: https://saskatoon.ctvnews.ca/sask-polytechnic-remembers-victims-of-montreal-massacre-1.420776
Written and edited by: Ekim Bagree, Swarit Dholakia, Zaria Hossain, Udeyveer Kabuli, Manmeet Mann, and Rebekah Weinman
"Why?" was the question that rang through everyone's head when the École Polytechnique massacre was
broadcasted to the world. "Why did Marc Lepine commit such a horrendous crime?" In this episode, we will
be discussing criminal theories about this mass shooting and attempt to explain the intentions of Lepine
and why he shot those 14 women.
Citations
Archer, D. (2012). Mass Murders are on the Rise. PsychologyToday. Retrieved from: https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/reading-between-the-headlines/201207/mass-murders-are-the-rise
Bindel, J. (2012). The Montreal Massacre: Canada’s Feminists Remember. The Guardian. Retrieved from: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/dec/03/montreal-massacre-canadas-feminists-remember
Biography. (2014) Marc Lepine Biography. Retrieved from: https://www.biography.com/people/marc-lepine-235980
Bower, B. (2018). Why Scientists Still Can’t Pinpoint a Mass Shooter in the Making. ScienceNews. Retrieved from: https://www.sciencenews.org/article/science-mass-shooter-psychology-guns-research
CBC Digital Archives. (n.d). Marc Lepine, Mass Murderer. Retrieved from: https://www.cbc.ca/archives/entry/marc-lepine-mass-murderer
Criminal Justice. (n.d). Marc Lepine. Retrieved from: http://criminal-justice.iresearchnet.com/crime/school-violence/marc-lepine/
Dunbar-Ortiz, R. (2017). Inside the Minds of American Mass Shooters. The Guardian. Retrieved from: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/nov/10/us-mass-shootings-history
Elgin, P., & Hester, S. (2003). The Montreal Massacre: A Story of Membership Categorization Analysis. Wilfrid Laurier University Press
Fox, J., & Levin, J. (2005). Extreme Killing: Understanding Serial and Mass Murder. Sage Publications Inc.
Gange, H., & Lepine, M. (2008). Aftermath. Viking Canada
Hamilton, A. (Host) & Farley, F. (Expert). (n.d). Speaking of Psychology: Understanding Mass Violence Episode 44 [Audio podcast]. Retrieved from: https://www.apa.org/research/action/speaking-of-psychology/mass-violence.aspx
King, R. (2017). Mass Killings: An Evolutionary Perspective. Psychology Today. Retrieved from: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/hive-mind/201710/mass-killings-evolutionary-perspective
Study.com. (2018). Social Conflict Theory and Crime: Definitions and Approach to Deviance. Retrieved from: https://study.com/academy/lesson/social-conflict-theory-and-crime-definitions-and-approach-to-deviance.html
Thériault, A. (2018). Anne Thériault: Marc Lépine Didn’t Want to Kill Women, He Wanted to Kill Feminists. Flare. Retrieved from: https://www.flare.com/news/marc-lepine-feminists/
Wright, E., Baxter, J., & Birkelund, G. (1995). The Gender Gap in Workplace Authority: A Cross-National Study, American Sociological Association, pgs. 407-435.
Huntley. (Feb. 17, 2011). Faith In The Midst Of The Montreal Massacre -- Monique Lepine - Part 1. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnyT4rXwbA
