Catherine Bourgeron
My sister, Genevieve, and I were born just 22 months apart. We were very close. We had the same circle of friends and went to school together. We did the same sports, played on the same basketball team in high school, and both played the clarinet. Genevieve was my idol. I remember practising the clarinet with her. Often we would laugh so much, we couldn't finish. I don't remember what we were laughing about; we were just having fun. I often think about that because I want to remember her in a happy way.
On Dec. 6, 1989, Genevieve was only 21 years old and an engineering student at L'École Polytechnique de Montréal. On every Dec. 6 since that day, it's like time stops.
I still have Genevieve's clarinet and sometimes my children (Marjolaine, 8, and Clément, 10) will bring me the box and say, "Mommy, please play." Playing the clarinet brings me back to those good moments when Genevieve and I were still together, laughing and singing.
When I became a mom, everything changed about how I viewed Dec. 6, because it was then that I realized what my parents went through when Genevieve died. It's hard for everyone to think about what happened that day. For every Montrealer, for every Quebecer, for every Canadian, it's so hard.
My family is one of the families that created the Dec. 6 Foundation. We raised money and gave it to groups that were taking action to stop violence. I became involved because I wanted to make something good out of what happened. Two years ago, we gave what money was left to the Foundation of Greater Montreal. We needed a break. Our emotions were still running high.
"I want people to remember who my sister was – not that she was a victim."
The reaction from some people about Dec. 6 is, "I want to forget." But my family doesn't want to forget. We don't want the girls to have died in vain. We have to remember that 14 women died and there was no doubt about the intention of the man who killed them. Some people say to me, "He was crazy." He probably was not well. I don't want society to forget that he killed 14 women because he thought they were taking his place. I don't know what I will tell my daughter, Marjolaine, about what happened when she grows up.
I want people to remember who my sister was – not that she was a victim. Genevieve was sensitive and that is why she touched so many people. She was so nice and good, and had so much talent. She was there for others. She was there for me. I remember Genevieve like a little sun. She was the soleil in the life of so many people.
Catherine Bergeron lives in Montreal. Her sister, Genevieve, was one of the 14 young women killed on Dec. 6, 1989.
Page 3 of 5 – Read about the tragedy through the eyes of a professor at L'École Polytechnique de Montréal on page 4.
