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The Canadian press
Cree student awarded the Order of the White Rose in memory of the victims of the Polytechnique
MONTREAL – An indigenous engineering student is this year recipient of the Order of the White Rose of the Polytechnique Montreal in memory of the victims and survivors of the 1989 anti-feminist attack on the school. Brielle Chanae Thorsen, 22, says the lives of the 14 women cut short by the slaughter of what was then known as Ecole polytechnique must never be forgotten, but the real work remains to achieve full equality. “We all need to remember the women who came before us, especially the victims and survivors of the Polytechnique tragedy,” Thorsen, a Cree woman, said in an interview. “We must all have the same opportunities to pursue a rewarding career without being the goals of discrimination or violence, regardless of our gender, race, sexuality or religion.” This was not the case for the 14 women – mostly schoolgirls – killed. Thirteen others – nine women and four men – were injured by Marc Lepine in a 20-minute shooting at the Montreal Engineering School on December 6, 1989. For the past six years, Polytechnique has awarded the Order of the White Rose, a Scholarship of $ 30,000 study given to a Canadian engineering student looking to pursue graduate studies in the field. White roses have become the symbol of annual activities commemorating the massacre. Thorsen plans to pursue a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. He previously earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical and mathematical engineering from the same university. Although born after the tragic events of 1989, Thorsen is well aware of what happened that day. And he knows that this scholarship has special weight and meaning. “When I think of the lives lost in 1989, I often think: what if it was me and my classmates?” she said. “And that thought devastates me.” Remembering the victims and survivors is important, because “their efforts and their lives have allowed me and my classmates to study safely,” he added. But more than 30 years later, the barriers remain, said Thorsen, a member of the Saddle Lake Cree Nation in central Alberta. She noted that while on an internship at the Department of National Defense, she was one of the few women in the office of the basic research center in Suffield, Alta. – and the only indigenous woman. She also recalled during group work at university where she was treated differently due to sex; male classmates ignored her suggestions and comments despite listening to other men, she said. Women remain a minority in engineering courses, although combined between engineering and mathematics, they represent 50% of students. “And while there is more work to be done to move towards equality and equity in the profession… Our representation is on the rise, which is really promising for the next generation of female engineers,” she said. “Engineers are designing solutions for the world. So why should we have only a small portion of this population designing solutions for everyone?” Thorsen intends to specialize in sustainable energy by using his knowledge to work with indigenous communities in the North on projects aimed at energy sovereignty. This report by The Canadian Press was first published on December 3, 2020. Stephanie Marin, The Canadian Press
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