On this day in 1989, 25-year-old Marc Lepine, screaming "I hate feminists!" shot and killed Anne-Marie Edward, Anne-Marie Lemay, Annie St. Arneault, Annie Turcotte, Barbara Daigneault, Barbara Marie Klucznik, Genevieve Bergeron, Helene Colgan, Maryse LeClaire, Maryse Leganiere, Maud Haviernier, Michele Richard, Nathalie Croteau and Sonia Pelletier.

Dozens of vigils, memorials and public events will take place across Canada today remembering these 14 women. We will gather to speak about the ongoing violence perpetuated by men against women and trans people that forms the basis of our rape-culture.

The right-wing minority government of Stephen Harper has just introduced Bill C-49.

The "Preventing Human Smugglers from Abusing Canada's Immigration System Act " that, among other things, allows the minister of public safety to declare any group of migrants coming in to Canada, a 'smuggling incident.'

Canada's Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) is not listed as an example in the dictionary under "nuanced." And maybe Canadians feel safer for having the IRB toss out people who make much better neighbours than the drunken louts who party till all hours on the weekend and puke up their Frosh Week activities in the flower bed.

But geez, you know, I wish they would take a slightly harder look, because it's becoming all too clear to me that Canada's refugee system really has no interest in adding upstanding citizens to the country who are precisely who we should promote. If Canada could send out a flyer to potential refugees with examples of who we desire, Jose Figueroa, living in Langley with his wife and three kids, would be the poster boy for the campaign.