Annual Events
Although we are busy all year advocating for equality and providing important services to our community, we make time each and every year to hold annual events in which we celebrate, advocate and remember. Included below is a list of our annual events, for current information on upcoming events please see our Facebook page.
March
International Women's Day
International Women's Day, celebrated annually on March 8th, honors the achievements and contributions of women worldwide across social, economic, cultural, and political spheres.
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Originating over a century ago, the day serves as a powerful reminder of the ongoing struggle for gender equality and women's rights. It highlights the accomplishments of women throughout history and calls for continued progress towards a more inclusive and equitable society. International Women's Day is marked by events, campaigns, and initiatives that advocate for women's empowerment, challenge stereotypes, and promote gender parity in all aspects of life.
April
Rehteah Parsons Walk
Every April, we honor the memory of Rehtaeh Parsons. She tragically took her own life on April 7, 2013, at just seventeen years old, following seventeen months of hardship. During a critical period of self-discovery, Rehtaeh endured sexual assault and subsequent social marginalization.
During this annual event, we concentrate on educating our community and children about consent and combating cyberbullying. It serves as a solemn reminder of the necessary steps we must take to foster awareness and prevent similar tragedies.
August
Camp Ohana
Camp Ohana is a summer camp experience for 2SLGBTQIA+ youth. This safe and inclusive space has a focus on eliminating discrimination on the basis of gender, sex and sexuality status, promoting education and awareness of issues affecting sexual and gender minorities and providing opportunities for youth leadership.
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In 2024, we will be piloting an experience for adult campers so stay tuned!
For more information, please click here or email campohana01@gmail.com.
September
Take Back the Night
An excerpt from their website:
Take Back The Night is the oldest worldwide movement to stand against sexual violence in all forms. TBTN began in the 1970s with a Tribunal Council meeting in Belgium attended by 2000+ women representing 40+ countries. Our earliest activists protested the lack of safety for women, whether walking down the street alone at night.
In 1973, in the United States, a group of women at the University of Southern Florida dressed in black sheets, held broomsticks, and marched through campus demanding a women’s center. In 1975, a large crowd in Philadelphia staged a Take Back The Night Event to protest the murder of a microbiologist walking home after work. In the 70s, San Francisco had a number of rallies in protest of “snuff” pornography and violence against women.
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These early protests sparked thousands of events on college campuses and in global communities of all sizes — from remote Canadian towns to bustling Calcutta streets, from Ivy Leagues to military bases. Each working to end sexual violence and support victims. We continue to increase our impact and add more communities, and TBTN now reaches millions of people each year!
December
National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women
Every year on December 6th, we hold a vigil to remember and honor those we have lost to gender based violence.
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In 1989, on December 6th, a lone gunman entered a mechanical engineering classroom at Montreal's École Polytechnique. He separated the women from the men and opened fire on the women, yelling "you are all feminists". That day fourteen women were murdered and thirteen other people were injured.
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​In April of 2020, twenty-two people were murdered and three were injured during a thirteen hour crime spree by a gunman impersonating an RCMP officer. It has been confirmed that these events were preceded by domestic violence.
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In Remembrance
Geneviève Bergeron
Hélène Colgan
Nathalie Croteau
Barbara Daigneault
Anne-Marie Edward
Maud Haviernick
Barbara Klucznik-Widajewicz Maryse Laganière
Maryse Leclair
Anne-Marie Lemay
Sonia Pelletier
Michèle Richard
Annie St-Arneault
Annie Turcotte
Const. Heidi Stevenson
Lisa McCully
Gina Goulet
Dawn Madsen
Frank Gulenchyn
Joy Bond
Peter Bond
Elizabeth Joanne Thomas
John Joseph Zahl
Corrie Ellison
Aaron Tuck
Emily Tuck
Jolene Oliver
Sean McLeod
Alanna Jenkins
Tom Bagley
Heather O'Brien
Kristen Beaton and her unborn child
Greg Blair
Jamie Blair
Joey Webber
Lillian Campbell Hyslop
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