CEP women’s conference targets violence against women. Highlights include address by the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean. Dec. 6th march and rally. One of Canada’s largest unions, the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union, is bringing together more than 350 women from across Canada for a conference at the Westin hotel, Dec. 4-6. The event will feature the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, former Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of Canada, as keynote speaker, as well as a march to Parliament Hill to mark the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women…

At 8:30 am on Dec. 6, the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Co-President of the Michaëlle Jean Foundation, will deliver the keynote address. During her speech, she will describe her experience establishing shelters for battered women in Quebec, and speak about the importance of using the arts to engage young Canadians in the struggle against violence against women.

At 10 am on Dec. 6, conference participants will march to Parliament Hill, where they will be joined by other pro-gun-registry demonstrators from Quebec, including relatives of victims of the ” Montreal massacre” and members of the Coalition for Gun Control.

“The gun control law is a monument erected to the memory of our daughters,” says Suzanne Laplante-Edward, mother of Anne-Marie who was killed on Dec. 6, 1989 at Montreal’s École Polytechnique, in a massacre of 14 women by a lone gun man.

Laplante-Edward will be speaking at the rally along with Wendy Sol, CEP Western Region Administrative Vice-President, Dr.Wendy Cukier, President of the Coalition for Gun Control, and representatives from all three opposition parties.

The conference will also feature workshops and speakers on safety and streetproofing for women, cyberstalking, the gun registry, and more.