The performance involved students lighting candles to memorialize each of the victims. (Michael Joel-Hansen/paNOW Staff)

By Michael Joel-Hansen

Remembering

Carlton takes time to honour victims of Montreal Massacre

Dec 6, 2019 | 5:15 PM

It has been 30 years since 14 women were shot and killed at École Polytechnique in Montreal.

Students and staff at Carlton Comprehensive High School took time out Friday afternoon to take in a dramatic performance to memorialize the victims of the massacre.

A large number of students packed into the school’s indoor garden area to watch the solemn performance, which was put on by some of the school’s drama students.

“Twenty years ago, a student in my Drama 20 class wrote a memorial script. It was the 10^th anniversary,” drama teacher David Zulkoskey said.

Zulkoskey said it is fitting students performed the 20-minute play for the 30th anniversary of the incident. The length of the play is the same length of time as the shooting incident.

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During the performance students stood spread out from each other each holding candles. The performance started with a narration taking people through the events. There was also loud shouting, which repeated the words the killer uttered and the firing of a starters pistol, which simulated the shootings.

(Michael Joel-Hansen/paNOW Staff)

The majority of the performance saw the female students holding candles light them and repeat the name and age of one of the victims. The performance ended with a male student reading from the suicide letter left by the killer.

“It’s a solemn presentation. It’s a memorial presentation, it’s dramatic, there are loud sounds and what not as there would have been on that event,” Zulkoskey said.

Zulkoskey explained it is important to give students food for thought and remember they are the leaders of tomorrow, which makes it all the more important they be aware of these issues. He added many of his current students did not know the massacre had happened.

Sierra Parker was one of the students who was part of the performance. She did not know about the event until recently and believes it’s important her generation know about what happened in 1989.

“I want to be a part of this to show them what had happened,” she said.

Krysten McKay was another student who took part after she was approached by Zulkoskey about being involved. McKay added she was especially interested in taking part as she also was not aware of what happened in Montreal. She said it really affected her that the killer targeted women specifically.

“I want to understand and reflect and remember on like why it happened,” she said.

A good number of students came out to see the performance. (Michael Joel-Hansen/paNOW Staff)

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MichaelJoel.Hansen@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @mjhskcdn