If you were downtown this afternoon (Thursday), you may have seen a parade of bundled-up people with red signs.
That was the annual Women’s Memorial March from the Courthouse to the Native Friendship Centre, which was attended by roughly 50 people.
This was done in memory of missing and murdered women, especially the disproportionate amount of Indigenous women, to honour the families, raise awareness, and inspire change.
“We have to put the awareness out there that we have to protect our women and girls, and boys too for that matter,” Lheidli T’enneh Elder Darlene McIntosh told My PG Now before the march departed.
These marches started in Vancouver in the early 90’s, but many people at today’s rally had a full focus on the highway of tears – the stretch of highway 16 where many people have gone missing is one of Canada’s most infamous areas.
“What happens with things like that, we have apathy,” McIntosh said. “We know it is happening, but do we put ourselves in [their shoes] and have that understanding?”
She said families that have lost loved ones in this way deserve more empathy than what they get – a disappearance, tragically, has become close to commonplace and most people don’t stop to consider the implications anymore.
“There is no closure,” she said. “The families are there, heartbroken, and looking always for that closure. We need to show them we are there in spirit and physically supporting them… if you lost a mother or a sister, how would that be for you with no closure? How would you feel? We have to think about that.”
When asked what changes need to be make to address these disappearances and murders, McIntosh looked to men.
“Where are our warrior men, that need to come and be in a place of protection for our women and girls?” she asked.
She also added that young women need to be “vigilant, and supporting each other. Be there, just in case something happens.”
Looking out at the crowd standing in the cold waiting to begin, McIntosh, as well as organizers, were pleased.
“We know that Prince George, they always come and support, however that may be. Maybe [some people] are at home sitting on the couch, and they’re nice and warm, but their heart is there in support also.”
McIntosh was joined by event organizer Ken Solonas in addressing the crowd before they departed the courthouse, and a collection of speakers and performers from Indigenous communities met the walkers at the Native Friendship Centre to close.