Three Peterborough, Kawarthas women murdered in 2018, honoured

Three women from Peterborough and the Kawarthas were murdered this year.

They were among 176 murdered across Canada, and on Thursday, these women were remembered during the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.

“This is Wendy Allan and she was murdered in Lindsay Ontario,” said Lisa Clarke of the Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre, honouring the victims. “This is Heeley Rea Balanga and she was murdered in Kawartha Lakes, this was Sandra Finn and she was murdered in the home depot parking lot in Peterborough.”

The women were murdered by femocide.

“This is violence that is between two people, where we would hope that this is loving, caring, nurturing, relationships, but instead it is filled with trauma and abuse,” added Clarke.

On December 6, 1989, 13 women were murdered because of their gender at L’école polytechnique in Montreal. Nearly 30 years later, the tragedy is being still felt and women continue to remain targets.

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“This year was a particularly difficult year,” said Clarke. “In the past, what we knew was that a women was killed every six days in Canada, and this year it was a women every two days.”

Students and staff at Trent University are once again commemorating the lives lost with a display at Otonabee College. Each year, students set up a mural inviting others to come and express their thoughts.

“This day is so important to me because three weeks ago, one of my sisters from ceremony went missing in Montreal,” said Jazzmin Foster. “She’s 16 years old and they just started an investigation last week.”

So when will it end?

“I think if men take responsibility for masculine violence and engage in this and try to fight against that, then we can end violence against women,” said Trent University student Jake Dean.

If you are experiencing violence or know someone who is and would like to talk someone confidentially, contact the Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre, the YWCA Peterborough Haliburton or the Womens Health Centre at the hospital. If someone is in imminent risk of harm, call 911.