Red Dress Day marked in Crowsnest Pass

On May 5, a group gathered at the Blairmore Community Gazebo to mark Red Dress Day, the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-Spirit People (MMIWG2S). The gathering commemorated the lives lost and called for greater public accountability in addressing the ongoing crisis facing Indigenous communities across Canada.

The event in Crowsnest Pass coincided with the 15th anniversary of Red Dress Day, which was inspired by Métis artist Jaime Black’s REDress Project. The symbolic act of hanging empty red dresses in public spaces continues to serve as a powerful reminder of the thousands of Indigenous women and girls who have gone missing or been murdered across the country.

In Blairmore, red dresses hung quietly from the gazebo fence, fluttering in the wind as a solemn tribute.

While no formal program was held, the simple gathering stood as a strong visual statement. The red dresses served as both a memorial and a public call to action, urging recognition of the crisis, even in small communities like Crowsnest Pass.

In Alberta, Indigenous women face higher rates of violence and homicide than non-Indigenous women. Despite accounting for only a small percentage of the population, they represented a disproportionate number of homicide victims between 2000 and 2008, with 16 per cent of those cases occurring in Alberta.

Across Canada, communities held marches, ceremonies and awareness campaigns on May 5 to honour victims and press for the implementation of the 231 Calls for Justice outlined in the 2019 National Inquiry into MMIWG.

In Crowsnest Pass, the local event, although small, reflected a growing desire among residents to see meaningful change.

To learn more about Red Dress Day or how to support the cause, visit amnesty.ca/red-dress-day.