UBC remembers the women of École Polytechnique

White roses and tea lights sit on the 14 Not Forgotten memorial — White roses carried by students were placed on the 14 Not Forgotten memorial at the ceremony remembering the women killed at École Polytechnique.

December 1, 2025

The engineering communities at both UBC Vancouver and UBC Okanagan gathered this week to remember the 14 women killed at École Polytechnique de Montréal on December 6, 1989.

36 years ago, an armed man entered an engineering classroom and opened fire, deliberately killing 14 women and injuring 10 others. This shocking act of femicide led to the establishment of December 6 as the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.

On the Vancouver campus, the 14 Not Forgotten ceremony saw speakers decisively reaffirm that women belong in engineering.

Dr. Benoit-Antoine Bacon speaks at a podium in front of a screen showing an illustration of a rose — UBC President Benoit-Antoine Bacon spoke to the engineering community at the 14 Not Forgotten ceremony on December 1.

UBC President Benoit-Antoine Bacon, a student at École Polytechnique de Montréal at the time of the shooting, began his remarks by reading the names of the women out loud.

"We’re fully committed to creating a community where women are safe, supported and respected, and where violence against women has absolutely no place,” said President Bacon, a sentiment echoed by UBC Applied Science Dean James Olson.

“We owe it to them to continue to stand up against gender-based violence, to challenge misogyny in all forms, and to fight for a world where no woman ever again has to fear for her life because she is pursuing a career, a passion or an education,” said chemical and biological engineering student and 14 Not Forgotten manager Anna Jeffs.

UBC Engineering Undergraduate Society president Humleen Samra spoke about the continued challenges facing women as they enter the workforce, an issue reinforced by speakers Jaime Bitten-Montani of Spartan Controls and Sabrina Woodworth of BBA.

“Yes, more women than ever enter engineering now,” shared Samra. “Representation quickly drops off post-grad. Only 15% of licensed practicing engineers are women. Women might make it into engineering, but far fewer feel that they’re able to stay.”

Woodworth challenged the attendees to embrace diversity as they move through their careers and have opportunities to build their own teams.

The ceremony concluded with students laying white roses, one for each victim, on the memorial outside of the Fred Kaiser building.

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Students wait to place white roses on the 14 Not Forgotten memorial on the UBC Vancouver campus.

At UBC Okanagan, the campus’ memorial fire bowl, For Future Matriarchs, was lit for a vigil and memorial. The community was also invited to participate in a self-guided memorial walk throughout the day.

Earlier in the day, École Polytechnique de Montréal announced the recipients of scholarships awarded through the Order of the White Rose. Three students currently enrolled in UBC Engineering graduate studies and one UBC Okanagan School of Engineering Alumni were among the 14 recognized for their courage, curiosity and determination: