Abbotsford City Hall will soon be surrounded by a sea of red, with hundreds of people expected to come out to participate in the annual Red Dress Day ceremony on Monday.
Hosted by the Fraser Valley Metis Association (FVMA), this event honours the countless Indigenous women who have been murdered or gone missing over the years.
According to Statistics Canada, this is a massive issue within the Indigenous community, with 63 per cent of Indigenous women suffering physical or sexual assault in their lifetime, which is significantly higher than the rate at which non-Indigenous women are impacted.
Red Dress Day was created in response to this ongoing issue, with events taking place all across Canada, including right outside of Abbotsford City Hall.
On May 5, Abbotsford residents and FVMA members will gather in the Abbotsford School District parking lot, where an awareness walk will take place at 10 a.m. During this part of the event, red dresses are hung all around the block surrounding Abbotsford City Hall.
In addition to the awareness walk, there are also plenty of other activities, including dancing and drumming demonstrations, free food, an Indigenous market, and more.
The entire event takes place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday, May 5, and is free to attend.
