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Exactly 20 years ago this Sunday, the sixth of December 1989 – The Montréal Massacre of December 6, 1989, in which 14 women students at the École Polytechnique were systematically killed and 13 other students wounded by a lone gunman, is indelibly imprinted on the minds of Quebec’ers and others who struggled to comprehend the worst single-day massacre in Canadian history.
Geneviève Bergeron, aged 21;
Hélène Colgan, 23;
Nathalie Croteau, 23;
Barbara Daigneault, 22;
Anne-Marie Edward, 21;
Maud Haviernick, 29;
Barbara Maria Klucznik, 31;
Maryse Leclair, 23;
Annie St.-Arneault, 23;
Michèle Richard, 21;
Maryse Laganière, 25;
Anne-Marie Lemay, 22;
Sonia Pelletier, 28;
Annie Turcotte, aged 21.
At that time, as a Montrealer and songwriter for over 30 years, I vowed to pay tribute to this tragedy through the art of music.
3 years following, I wrote the song ‘Bells’ in tribute to the victims of that day. The goal then was to raise awareness of violence towards women and donate all proceeds of the song to various women’s shelters across Canada. I followed the song up with a full length video shot from Montreal and a CD version of it which was aired on numerous stations. Also at that time, the White ribbon campaign jumped on board and we were asked to perform it ‘live’ on Parliament Hill amongst others.. For the past 15 years, the song has been performed by several different artists at different events in tribute to the tragedy.
After twenty years has passed, my band Sticks ‘n Stones for the past 13 years, has recorded (and attached) a new acoustic MP3 version of the song ‘Bells’ to commemorate the 20 year anniversary of this tragedy . We are asking at this time if your station would be willing to give the few moments of airtime to play the song if possible in memory of 14 lives that were lost that day 20 years ago. Proceeds including SOCAN royalties will go to woman’s shelters and help groups.
Bells
The hallways filled with smiles, as the snow fell on the sixth
The Flashing lights they turned, the power of ‘thought’ just ceased
Or has it just begun, as the crowd gathers to mourn
The women in their prime, they still will shine
And another still will be born...
The Bells don’t ring, the Bells don’t ring, the Bells don’t ring anymore
They’re better and stronger than they ever were before,
Someday the Bells will ring some more...
Down at the stadium the next week, the crowd sings “I can’t get no Satisfaction”
Justice was not, and will not be served, when the gender is still in fashion
Wisdom is knowledge in time, the watch of life stops only with fate
The women there now in Montreal, heads up high, they still have love and hate...
The Bells don’t ring, the Bells don’t ring, the Bells don’t ring anymore
They’re better and stronger than they ever were before,
Someday the Bells will ring some more...
We are all kids, in the schoolyard of hope
Faith has no rules or conditions
This place is cruel, one door opens....and another...and another shuts...
Now the board is wiped clean, as the classroom air fills with sighs
The girl sits at her seat, with a glimmer in her eyes
There’s a feeling of independence, with herself and her friends
The wind blows in the court yard, and the apple on the desk still shines
The Bells will ring, the Bells will ring, the Bells will ring some more
Mais plus que j’amais les filles sont plus fieres eh fortes,
Oh oui J’entends les cloches sonner encore
I think I just heard the Bells ringing some more.
I think I just heard the Bells ringing some more.