December 6, 1989: A song of remembrance

A ballad by Bev Nicol and Lisa Dorian. According to the notes posted by Bev Nicol at YouTube, “The chorus comes from the words of survivor Nathalie Provost who said to the killer, ‘We are only women who are studying engineering. We are only women who want to live a normal life.’

Here’s an additional note telling the story behind the song:

Lisa and I recorded this song in the summer of 1990. It was performed that year by women’s theatre and singing groups across the country, including the Nellie McClung Theatre group in Winnipeg, the Secret Furies Halifax, and WomenFolk in Hamilton. Lisa played it at the vigil in Victoria and I played it at a benefit for Maggies Women’s Shelter in Bancroft Ontario. Twenty years later I had a call from Judy, who still works at Maggies; she remembered the song and requested a copy, to be played at their vigil in 2010. So began the ressurection of the song Lisa and I wrote to remember the 14 women who died in Montreal, and to record the history of the Montreal massacre.

Thanks to ROSE for sharing the video.

Progressive Bloggers // Blogues progressistes