The ninth annual Memorial March for Missing and Murdered Women in Maple Ridge is taking place on Feb. 14.
The march will start in Memorial Peace Park (11900 224th St.), and organizer Yvonne Desabrais is asking those taking part to gather at the Gazebo at 11:45 a.m.
She asks that they bring a drum if they have one, and a photo of a person they are marching for.
The march will begin at 12:15 p.m.
In recent years, she has kept the event alive with online ceremonies.
Desbrais’ own mother was a victim in Calgary. The local activist chose to put on the event in her home community, at the same time as the event in Vancouver, which has been running for 32 years. The Vancouver event started in 1991, with the discovery of a woman’s body on Powell Street. The memorial march has since spread to numerous Canadian cities.
“It’s about awareness, for me, and it’s in honour of my mom,” Desabrais said. “It would be nice if across this country every community marched at the same time as Vancouver.”
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Desabrais said she chose a noon event so women feel comfortable meeting and making connections.
“Women aren’t safe at night,” she added.
The marchers will go:
• On the sidewalk starting at 224th Street and continue south to Lougheed Highway,
• Then East to 226 Street,
• North on 226, past the bus loop and onto Edge Street,
• Continue west on Dewdney Trunk Road,
• Back onto 224 Street going south and return to the gazebo.
The memorial march will end with a healing circle.
For information email memorialmarchmapleridge@gmail.com, or see the Facebook page Memorial March of Maple Ridge.
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