Montreal shooting survivor shares how she regained sense of safety

Gun control advocate and survivor of the1989 École Polytechnique massacre Nathalie Provost speaks at a press conference on new measures to strengthen gun control in Ottawa on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Patrick Doyle

TORONTO — École Polytechnique shooting survivor Nathalie Provost says it took her several weeks to return to the site of the Montreal massacre, but doing so allowed her to reclaim her life and create a sense of safety again.

She was shot in the leg, foot and forehead by a gunman who killed 14 women and injured more than a dozen people in 1989.

Her reflections on healing come in response to one of the worst school shootings in the country’s history on Tuesday in Tumbler Ridge, a small community in British Columbia, where 10 people are dead, including the suspect.

Provost, now a member of Parliament in Quebec, says going back to school to finish her undergraduate degree once she was released from hospital was her way of moving forward.

Vancouver psychologist Dr. Valerie Caldeira says it’s going to take time to re-gain a sense of safety across the country and that returning to routine is an important step, whether that’s going to extracurriculars or sticking to meal times.

• READ LATEST: Police had seized guns from shooter’s home before. Live Tumbler Ridge updates here.

While it can feel like our collective sense of security is shattered, Dr. Allison Crawford, a chief medical officer for 9-8-8: Suicide Crisis Helpline, says that is not permanent, and there is hope for restoration.

“While we acknowledge the magnitude of this loss now, and have to do work to help people feel a sense of safety and connection ...that’s not permanently shattered,” Crawford said.

“I think there’s lots of hope that we will collectively come back together and have that sense of safety restored.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 11, 2026.

Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.

Hannah Alberga, The Canadian Press