British ColumbiaEvents are taking place across B.C. Monday as Indigenous people and their allies gather, march and hold ceremony for the hundreds of Indigenous women and girls who are missing or have been murdered in Canada.Events across province aim to raise awareness for and remember missing and murdered Indigenous women and girlsSantana Dreaver · CBC News · Posted: May 05, 2025 9:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 37 minutes agoPeople gather outside Vancouver City Hall for a Red Dress Day memorial on May 5, 2021. On Monday, Indigenous people and their allies will mark the 15th anniversary of the day of remembrance and awareness. (Ben Nelms/CBC)Monday marks 15 years of Indigenous people and their allies gathering, marching and holding ceremony for the hundreds of Indigenous women and girls who are missing or have been murdered in Canada.The national day of awareness and remembrance, known as Red Dress Day, was inspired by Métis artist Jaime Black after she created the REDress project — an art installation of red dresses hanging in public spaces that serve as a visual reminder of the Indigenous women and girls who are no longer with us. Since 2010, Indigenous people and allies have taken part in the project — hanging red dresses, creating artwork, and marching together to remember loved ones and call those who are missing back home. According to the Government of Canada, 63 per cent of Indigenous women have experienced physical or sexual assault in their lifetime. In 2023, Statistics Canada released a report showing that Indigenous women and girls were six times more likely to be murdered than other groups of people in Canada. The federal government launched the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Woman and Girls (MMIWG) in 2016. In the final report released in 2019, 231 calls to action were made along with findings of genocide against Indigenous peoples in Canada. Amnesty International, an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, says Red Dress Day matters because it “makes the invisible visible.”The REDress project was started by Métis artist Jamie Black in 2010, as a visual reminder of the alarming rate of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. (Terri Trembath/CBC)”Red Dress Day is a significant day,” said Don Tom, chief of Tsartlip First Nation and vice-president of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs (UBCIC). “We must continue to bring awareness to ensure all Indigenous women are safe. It’s a day to say we haven’t forgotten the many women and girls whose lives have been taken too early. We demand justice and action on this day.”On Monday, the UBCIC and non-profit Justice for Girls will be making an announcement about the deaths of Tatyanna Harrison, Chelsea Poorman and Noelle O’Soup, alongside their families.Harrison and Poorman were young Indigenous women, while O’Soup was an Indigenous teenager. Their bodies were found in Metro Vancouver within weeks of each other, in the spring of 2022.Investigations into how the Vancouver Police Department handled the three cases are underway.People gather outside Vancouver City Hall on May 5, 2022, for a Red Dress Day memorial. On Monday, events are planned across B.C. to mark the 15th anniversary of the day. (Ben Nelms/CBC)There are plenty of Red Dress Day events happening in B.C. this week. If you cannot make an event in person, wearing red is a sign of solidarity.Find your local event here.Abbotsford REDress Day & MMIWG2S+ awareness walk eventWhen: Monday, 10 a.m. Where: 32203 South Fraser WayChase MMIWG walk and barbecueWhen: Monday, 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. Where: 6443 Hillcrest RdClearwater MMIWG 5K walk or run When: Monday, 5 p.m. Where: 416 Eden Rd.Comox Valley MMIWG2S+ awareness walk & eventWhen: Monday, 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. Where: 411 Anderton Ave, CourtenayFort St. John Red Dress Day 2025When: Monday, 12 p.m. – 8 p.m. Where: 9523 100 St.GoldenMMIWG2S awareness and solidarity walkWhen: Monday, 9:30 a.m. Where: 611 10th Ave. NorthHope Red Dress Day walkWhen: Monday, 10 a.m. Where: 6th Avenue Ball ParkKamloopsRed Dress Day walkWhen: Monday, 3 p.m. – 5 p.m. Where: 707 Tranquille Rd.Red Dress Day eventWhen: Monday, 11 a.m. Where: 357 Chief Alex Thomas WayKelowna Red Dress Day walkWhen: Monday, 10:30 a.m. Where: 442 Leon Ave.Kitimat Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples awareness gatheringWhen: Monday, 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. Where: 606 Mountain Sq.Haisla Nation Red Dress Day walkWhen: Monday, 1 p.m. Where: 500 Gitxsan Ave.LillooetMMIWG2S+ eventWhen: Monday, 10 a.m. Where: 780 Main St.Lower Nicola Indian Band LNIB MMIW awareness walkWhen: Monday, 10:30 a.m. Where: Lower Nicola Band HallNew WestminsterRed Dress Day reflectionWhen: Monday, 3:15 p.m. – 7 p.m. Where: 620 8th St.Honouring MMIWGWhen: Monday, 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. Where: 796 Columbia St.North OkanaganNorth Okanagan Friendship CentreWhen: Monday, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Where: 2904 29th Ave.North VancouverRed Dress Day honouring ceremonyWhen: Monday, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. Where: 147 East 12th St.Pitt MeadowsRed Dress Day ceremony 2025When: Monday, 1:30 p.m. Where: 11985 Harris Rd.PentictonRed Dress DayWhen: Monday, 11 a.m. Where: 1099 Lakeshore Dr. WestPrince RupertRed Dress fashion eventWhen: Monday, 3 p.m. Where: Civic Centre AuditoriumSaulteau First NationsMMIWG awareness dayWhen: Monday, 5 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Where: CrowfeathersSeabird Island BandRed Dress gatheringWhen: Monday, 11:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. Where: Band office gym Tsawwassen First NationMMIWG2S 5K walkWhen: Monday, 10 a.m. Where: TFN Rec Centre, 1929 Tsawwassen Dr.VancouverDancing with Our Ancestors exhibitWhen: Monday, 4 p.m. – 8 p.m. (exhibit opening), & May 5-19 Where: UBC Robson Square Sun Room, 800 Robson StNational Day of Awareness MMIW+When: Monday, 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. Where: 1657 Charles St.VictoriaOur Women are Sacred walkWhen: Monday, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Where: 2 Hallowell Rd.Witset First NationRed Dress Day 2025When: Monday, 10:30 a.m. Where: Smithers RCMP stationABOUT THE AUTHORSantana Dreaver is a Saulteaux and Plains Cree journalist based in Vancouver. She was raised in northern Saskatchewan and is a member of Mistawasis Nehiyawak. She has a background in political science and reports on Indigenous affairs, culture and governance.
Here’s how the 15th Red Dress Day is being marked in B.C.
