Valentines Day is important (sorry it's so late)

Every year in the DTES of Vancouver there is a march to bring light to and remember all the women that have gone missing and/or have been killed. This is the 17th year, and is something I always participate in

Here's the info (found here

17TH ANNUAL DTES WOMEN’S MEMORIAL MARCH
Starts indoors @ Carnegie Centre (Main and Hastings)
Followed by March through the DTES and lunch and circle at Oppenheimer Park.


Call Marlene George at the Carnegie Center if you want to help out. (604) 665-2220

Much financial support is required to make this march happen. Please make cheques payable to Women’s Memorial March c/o Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre Assn. (DEWC) 302 Columbia Street, Vancouver, BC, V6A 4J1. All donations over $10.00 will be gratefully be acknowledged with a charitable tax receipt.

The tragedy of the disappearances and heinous murders of so many women from the downtown eastside community continues to affect every member of this community and has a wide reaching impact on our society as a whole.

It may not be a surprise to you that even though there has been an arrest and a recent conviction there continues to be women who have gone missing and who were murdered. Their lives matter to us and more importantly they matter to their children, mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters. Who will seek justice for them?

This is an opportunity for our communities to support us by coming together in this public way to bear witness, to grieve the loss of our beloved sisters and to remember the lives of those who are still unaccounted for.

Please respect the march and do not bring agency banners to the event. The women are at the centre and the Women’s Memorial March carries five banners to honour the women.

The itinerary is as follows (in case you can't meet at the Carnegie center):

12:00 PM Family members speak in remembrance of their daughters: Carnegie Centre Theatre
1:00 PM March begins with a circle at Main & Hastings
2:00 PM Community activists speak outside the Vancouver Police Station
2:45 PM Healing Circle at Oppenheimer Park Memorial Pole, Candles of Remembrance
3:00 PM Feast at the Japanese Language School 475 Alexander St.

We ask that media interested in attending the event please arrive at Carnegie Centre by 11:15 am.
Media Protocol will be available in the library.

For more information please contact: Marlene at (604) 665-3005 or Carol Martin at (604) 681-8480 x 233

You can read about the history of the march here.
Excerpt:

The February 14th Women’s Memorial March is organized and led by women because women, especially Aboriginal women, face physical, mental, emotional and spiritual violence on a daily basis. We invite the whole community to join us in the spirit of the march. We ask that men share their grief and show their support by respecting the structure of the march

The DTES is the poorest neighbourhood in Vancouver, so it should comes as no surprise that the people there, especially the women are some of the most disenfranchised. I encourage everyone to go and hope to see you all there.

There will also be marches in Toronto and Edmonton if you are in those areas.