6 December is a day of mourning for women killed in armed violence. Twenty years ago a gunman entered l'École Polytechnique de Montréal (Canada), separated the men from the women and shot and killed 14 women, and injured a further 13 people in only 22 minutes.

The assailant used a semi-automatic military weapon, a Ruger mini-14, which he owned legally despite a history of antisocial behaviour. After committing suicide, he was identified only after police conducted a store-by-store search in the Montreal area to see who had sold the rifle, because guns were not registered except at the point of sale.

Following the massacre, the families of the Polytechnique victims, domestic violence and public health experts, victims advocate and thousands of individuals campaigned for stronger gun control. In 1991 and 1995, Canada's gun laws were strengthened, driven by the efforts of the Coalition for Gun Control.

The changes to Canada's gun laws include renewable licenses for every gun owner, central registration of every gun and a ban on most semi-automatic military weapons. Both the gun control and the registry have made Canadian people safer. Evidence shows that firearm injury and death, including spousal homicide, have substantially declined. Police officers access the gun registry 10,800 times a day both during investigations and to take preventative action.

A few weeks before the anniversary of the Montreal Massacre, a bill abolishing registration of rifles and shotguns passed the first stage in the Canadian Parliament. Suzanne Laplante-Edward said: “Canada’s gun law is a monument to the memory of the victims of the Montreal massacre, including my daughter Anne-Marie. We are disheartened that some politicians are ignoring police, victims, women’s groups and the vast majority of Canadians who support stronger gun control.”