Monday, December 17, 2018

Monuments

I have three different monuments today. On the 6th of December I made my way to Minto Park, where two of them stand. The Abused And Murdered Women Memorial stands here. On the 6th of December in 1989, the Ecole Polytechnique Massacre happened in Montreal- the murders of fourteen women and wounding of other people by a man who hated women and blamed them for the state of his life. Coming to this place on the anniversary feels fitting. Names of various murdered women are inscribed on some of the stones.


At the other end of the park is this oddity. General Jose de San Martin is a figure of Argentinian history. Their embassy presented a bust of the general to the city in 1973.


Some days later, and elsewhere downtown, I photographed another embassy gift. Simon Bolivar looms large in South American history. The embassy of Venezuela presented this statue of the statesman to the city in the 80s. Liberator of Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, Panama, and Venezuela, Bolivar was also the founder of Bolivia, and his name and statues of him are all over the world, in places he never saw, including here.

38 comments:

  1. What an horrible event, but the memorial looks very nice ! I was surprised to find Simon Bolivar here !

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  2. Wow. Either I was "too young" or that massacre really did not make it to our news. Sad.
    In Nürnberg the other day 4 women were stabbed by a man - no relations, probably the same motive.
    Always important to not forget.
    Eww. you really have snow already, brrr.... a few flakes coming domn yesterday night, nothing serious.

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  3. I remember the tragic event at L’École Polytechnique in Montreal as through it were yesterday. Once the impact of the human tragedy had sunk in it shocked me that such an event could take place in Canada. The name Marc LaPine is in my memory bank for all the wrong reasons.

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    1. His name actually is Lépine. You'd think I would check beforehand not afterwards!

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  4. What a strange business giving statues of your important people to other countries who probably don’t much care

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  5. ...the first one is powerful.

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  6. What an array of monuments. Do you have a favorite?

    Janis
    GDP

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  7. @Gattina: apparently Bolivar's name and likeness travels far!

    @Iris: it still looms large in Canadian history. Largely because of the scale and largely because this is so uncommon here.

    @David: mine too.

    @Francisco: thanks!

    @Joan: I do find it odd, but sometimes embassy relations can be that way.

    @Tom: it really is.

    @Janis: no, each of them stand out to me. I probably pass near the Bolivar one the most often, as I'm in that area regularly, whereas I'm not always passing through Minto Park. The last time I was over there was in the fall at some point.

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  8. What an awful event, and I guess the idea of not forgetting it is some comfort to the surviving family members...but it certainly sounds strange to have heroes of other countries' statues around. Now I wonder how many Boliver and Martin statues might be around our country! And maybe a few Canadians too!

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  9. I never heard of a memorial for abused and murdered women. It's terrible that one is necessary. :-(

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  10. wow, in 19th century there were mass murders in schools? what do you say! I thought it was 20/21 century thing.

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  11. Hello William.
    I’m so impressed from the first monument.
    Have a lovely week!
    Dimi...

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  12. These are all interesting memorials.

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  13. It's a worthwhile photographic project.

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  14. Interesting how we are given statues that don't mean much to us or things that we don't even want.

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  15. So sad to read about the massacre of those women.

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  16. @Marie: we have many.

    @Barbara: I looked, and aside from South America where you expect Bolivar statues, there's his name or statue in places as odd as Iran. America has a number of statues and towns named after him all over the country.

    @DJan: this is a good setting for it, though. It's a peaceful park.

    @Klara: I did go back and recheck just in case I entered the wrong date!

    @Dimi: it is quite a striking monument.

    @Sharon: I certainly think so.

    @Anvilcloud: yes, and there's no shortage of such monuments here to photograph.

    @Red: true. But I find Bolivar and san Martin have character.

    @Lady Fi: and earlier this year there was the van attack in Toronto, by a guy who also seemed to have rage issues with women.

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  17. Sad event but wonderful stones and photos of them and the sculptures ~

    Happy Day to you,
    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

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  18. i find General Jose de San Martin most interesting ... has the most character? have a great week!
    ( ;

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  19. A true horrible event, back in 1989.

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  20. Such a horrible thing happened to those women..very sad.

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  21. I'm not totally sure why we have monuments to these people that have nothing to do with us.

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  22. So sad to hear about the massacre of women.

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  23. @Carol: thank you.

    @Beth: it's a good bust.

    @Marleen: that it was.

    @Tamago: yes indeed.

    @RedPat: I imagine it happens elsewhere- it certainly does with Bolivar, who has statues around the world.

    @Bill: it was a profound tragedy.

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  24. William, Your new banner photo is impressive!

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  25. I like the first monument with 'random' stones around the big one.

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  26. I confess to also being ignorant about the murder of these women and what a tragic event.

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  27. I'm not familiar with this either. But that's one of the things I most love about blogging -- I learn about other people, places and events.

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  28. The first monument is the most impressive for me. What a horrible event.
    That monument reminds me of a part of the eco kathedral.

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  29. Interesting South American link. In Sydney we have an area also.

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  30. I must admit I cannot remember hearing about the massacre of the women... so sad.

    All the best Jan

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  31. These are interesting... a help to learn from history.

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  32. You really do find interesting stuff!

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  33. @Maywyn: thanks!

    @Klara: so do I.

    @Beatrice: it remains a shock to this day.

    @Jeanie: it is a good benefit.

    @Jan: thanks!

    @Cloudia: so do I.

    @Peter: that doesn't surprise me.

    @Jan: in a world with massacres here and there, that happens.

    @Italiafinlandia: it is.

    @Jennifer: I do!

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