Local event to bring attention to stopping violence in our community
Everyone is welcome to attend the first annual Take Back the Night Selkirk event hosted by Survivor’s Hope at the Selkirk Waterfront on April 27.
“Take Back the Night is a global grassroots event which brings our community together to bring awareness to the issue of gender-based violence, especially sexual violence and sexual assault that’s experienced in our communities. Various campuses and cities around the world hold Take Back the Night events and they can include things like protests and vigils and sit-ins,” said Coral Kendel, executive director of Survivor’s Hope Crisis Centre.
Selkirk’s Take Back the Night event will be at the Selkirk Waterfront and will be a rally where people can come to being awareness and support those in our community who have been affected by gender-based violence.
April is an apt time for an event like this in our community as it’s sexual assault awareness month.
“[The event starts with a] rally at the waterfront with a water ceremony led by a knowledge keeper and an elder. Also, there will be some introductions, a candlelight vigil, and awareness signs available for folks. After dusk, we will be taking to the streets, where we’ll march through Selkirk and bring the movement to be visible and to be seen throughout our community and march together standing together against this issue,” said Kendel.
The root will be a 2km loop. It will be accessible for those using mobility aids like wheelchairs and scooters and will pass near the Selkirk Water Tower which will be lit up especially for the event.
Safety is top of mind for an event like this and there will be marshals throughout the route as well as route maps available at the event to keep everyone on track.
Survivor’s Hope is an ideal organization to bring an event like this to our community because their focus is the impact of sexual violence and on prevention of further harm.
“We have crisis support counseling for survivors of sexual violence. We do education for youth in schools, tons of advocacy, and larger scale promotions and resource delivery to change the harm that happens in our whole province,” said Kendel.
In a recent survey that Survivor’s Hope conducted, Kendel said that they found that 40 per cent of respondents specifically from the Interlake-Eastern area say that they or someone that they know has experienced sexual violence in our communities.
“With that in mind, and with the work that we do every day, it only felt natural to hold an event like this to raise awareness on a larger scale and have everyone come together to see the allys that exist in our community,” said Kendel.
The rally will begin at 7:30 p.m. on April 27. At that point, the emcee for the night will make introductions and our local knowledge keeper and elder will lead a water ceremony as well as an opening prayer. From there, Indigenous drummers from the area will liven up the event and resources will be available for residents to learn more. Residents will then be able to grab LED-lit candles and rally signs for the walk. There will also be some light refreshments available. Once dusk settles the march will begin.
“Anyone is welcome and the event is open to any and all genders, ages and abilities,” said Kendel.
If you’d like to get a head start on the event residents are also welcome to visit Huddle Selkirk prior to the rally from 4 to 6 p.m. when there will be a poster making gathering.
“People are welcome to come to that as well to make their rally signs. We’ll have supplies available, all sorts of fun paints and markers and poster board and that so they can make their signs ahead of time,” she said.
Kendel’s only recommendation is that people wear comfortable footwear as there is no need to sign up ahead of time for Take Back the Night Selkirk.
She feels that hosting events like this is necessary in our community because historically change is made through advocacy and when people who have experienced harm speak out.
“Having a public event where we can have a large presence of a huge number of our community members from all different backgrounds standing together to raise awareness of this issue sends a big message to those making the decisions and those who can influence changes to policies and funding that can support and heal harms that have already been perpetrated and prevent future harms from happening,” said Kendel.
If residents want to provide additionally contributes to this cause, donations will be collected at the event. Residents can give financial contributions but donations of canned goods will be collected for local organizations as well as basic needs products like menstrual products and hygiene supplies which will also be donated locally.
Kendel welcomes anyone who would like to lend their voice to ending gender-based violence in our communities to attend this event.
“Use your power as an individual to come together as a large collective. As a group, there’s power in numbers,” said Kendel.
To learn more about Survivor’s Hope Crisis Centre and their resources visit survivors-hope.ca.
If you are experiencing an emergency, call 911.
