Remembering Our Colleague Dr. Laura Gover

Content warning: This post references intimate partner violence and death.

Our college community is grieving the heartbreaking loss of our colleague, Business instructor Dr. Laura Gover. This is a devastating and senseless loss, and many of us are feeling its weight deeply.

While not everyone had the opportunity to know Laura personally, many have shared stories of her warmth, humour, and deep care for others. Her closest colleagues describe someone who could light up a room with her smile and who had a sharp, wonderful sense of humour. Laura cared deeply for learners and was always finding ways to strengthen her teaching practice. She valued and modelled work–life balance, and her girls were the centre of her universe.

Laura’s influence will long be felt in the programs she strengthened, the learners she inspired, and the compassion she brought to every interaction. This is how we honour and remember our dear colleague and friend. If you happen to pass by her office, you’ll see the memorial table her students have set up.

Laura was taken from us in an act of intimate partner violence. Naming this reality matters. Even as we remain focused on who Laura was and the legacy she leaves behind, far too many in our community have personal experience with the circumstances leading up to her devastating and preventable murder. It is also deeply troubling that this is not the first time our community has experienced such a profound loss due to intimate partner violence.

We extend our sincere condolences to all who knew and worked with Laura, her family, and all who loved her. In moments of collective grief, it is important to care for ourselves and one another. This news may be especially difficult for those with lived experience of violence or for anyone feeling overwhelmed by this loss. A list of local and provincial supports is available for anyone who may need them, including crisis lines, transition houses, legal resources, and bereavement supports.

The featured image from this post is formatted as a Zoom or Teams background that you can download and use. The image is of two hands cradling a white ribbon of remembrance, with the words “CCFA Remembers Laura Gover” and a QR Code that leads directly to the GoFundMe for Laura’s girls. Since the École Polytechnique massacre in 1991, the while ribbon has become a symbol of remembrance and a public commitment to ending violence against women and is worn to honour those who have lost their lives to intimate partner and gender-based violence. If any members would like a white ribbon to wear, we have them available at the CCFA offices in the Young building or email us, and we will send you one.

As we remember an extraordinary member of our college community, we hold Laura’s family, friends, students, and colleagues in our thoughts. Her legacy will continue to shape our community for years to come. If anyone has additional resources to share, please feel free to send them to me. I will post them, along with versions of this message, on our website, Instagram, and Discord so they can be shared.