Tuesday (May 5) is a national day of awareness for missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and now men.
Several events are planned for Quesnel and Williams Lake for Red Dress Day that began back in 2010.
Tony Goulet, the Executive Director for the Quesnel Tillicum Society, talks about the day.
“Red Dress Day was done to show awareness and make people aware of the murdered and missing Indigenous girls and women and now men who have gone missing on the Highway of Tears just by Prince George, and it is to honour and remember those people that went missing along the highway.”
Goulet says a number of events are planned.
“There is something happening near the water wheel and then on this side of the bridge, the walking bridge, the Quesnel Tillicum Society will be doing some sandwiches and different snacks just to make awareness for the Red Dress Day. And then you will see red dresses hung along the river, especially on this side and then there will be some on the other side of the river as well, and those red dresses are very significant.”
Goulet says each dress represents a person and he anticipates that there will be around 140 this year.
He says events will run from 10 a.m. until around 2 p.m.
The Quesnel Shelter & Support Society will be at the end of the walking bridge near the water wheel for an event as well between 10 am and noon.
There will be a flower drop, smudging and a ceremony, followed by a fire burning ceremony at Seasons House after that.
In Williams Lake, the Cariboo Friendship Society will be hosting a Red Dress Day gathering in behind the Stampede Grandstand beginning at 11 this morning.
