CANADIANS BELIEVE THAT MEN SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN REMEMBRANCE EVENTS FOR VICTIMS OF 1989 "MONTREAL MASSACRE"

With a national sample of 1,515, one can say with 95 percent certainty that the overall results are within +2.5 percentage points of what they would have been had the entire adult Canadian population been polled. The margin of error will be larger for other sub-groupings of the survey population.

CANADIANS BELIEVE THAT MEN SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN REMEMBRANCE EVENTS FOR VICTIMS OF 1989 "MONTREAL MASSACRE"

ONLY 9% SAY MEN SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO ATTEND; AN OVERWHELMING 91% DISAGREE

As the tenth anniversary of the murder of fourteen young women at the University of Montreal - which has come to be known as the "Montreal Massacre" - approaches, a number of vigils and other events are being planned for the month of December to honour the memory of the victims. An Angus Reid Group/ Globe and Mail / CTV poll released tonight indicates men should be welcomed to attend commemorative events - even though some suggest that this would be inappropriate, citing that the murders were "motivated by male violence against women".

These are the highlights gleaned from a national Angus Reid Group/Globe and Mail/CTV telephone survey of 1,515 Canadian adults. Interviews were conducted between November 18th and November 26th, 1999. A sample size of 1,515 is said to have a corresponding margin of error of +2.5 percentage points, nineteen times out of twenty.

91% DISAGREE WITH NOT ALLOWING MEN TO ATTEND VIGILS

While some women's groups have said they will not allow men to attend events to honour the memory of the 14 victims of the 1989 Montreal Massacre, the overwhelming majority (91%) of Canadians disagree with this position. In fact, three quarters (76%) strongly disagree.

And it is not a gender issue: women (91%; 76% strongly) are every bit as likely at men (90%; 77% strongly) to disagree with the suggestion that men be disallowed from these events.

At 14 percent, residents of Quebec are among the most likely (along with those who do not have a high school diploma at 17% and less affluent respondents at 16%) to agree with the position that men should not be allowed to attend the vigils and other events because the murders were motivated by male violence against women.

Other statistically significant variations are:

• University graduates are more likely to disagree with the position that men should not be allowed than those without a high school diploma (94% versus 82%).
• Respondents with an annual household income of at least $60K are more likely to disagree that men should not be allowed than those whose household income is less than $30K (95% versus 84%).
• Most likely to strongly disagree with not allowing men are residents of B.C. (81%) or Ontario (81%), university graduates (82%) and the most affluent respondents (82%).

  For more information on this news release, please contact:

  John Wright
  Senior Vice-President
  Angus Reid Group
  (416) 324-2900

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