Statement from Mayor Adrian Foster on Red Dress Day

Clarington, Ontario – To mark Red Dress Day, also known as National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-Spirit People Clarington Mayor Adrian Foster has issued the following statement:

“Today, we remember the Indigenous women, girls and Two-Spirit People who have gone missing or been murdered in Canada. We honour all the lives lost and those whose lives have been forever changed by this violence.

The red dress symbolizes the pain and loss felt by survivors and loved ones as they await action in response to the unresolved Calls for Justice issued in the report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. Across Clarington, there are Red Dress Day displays at the Municipal Administrative Centre (Town Hall), our recreation facilities and the Bowmanville Library. These serve as reminders of the violent legacy against Indigenous women throughout Canada and a call for justice for those who were taken from their families.

We are committed to creating a community that is safe for everyone. In Canada, we have lost far too many people to violence that is colonial and gender-based. On Red Dress Day, we mourn and recommit to work together to end this ongoing national blight.”