Community
First Annual Women’s Day March set for March 9 in Red Deer
Friday, March 8, 2019 is International Women’s Day – a day to celebrate the achievements of women while calling for a more gender-balanced world.
To recognize Women’s Day, the Central Alberta Sexual Assault Support Centre (CASASC), Red Deer Welcoming and Inclusive Communities (WIC) and the Central Alberta Immigrant Women’s Association (CAIWA) will be teaming up for the first annual Women’s March Red Deer!
Take part on Saturday, March 9 in an empowering march designed to raise awareness and encourage women to be a visible force for positive change in their communities.
The event will start at 11 a.m. at CAIWA’s Club Café (5019 Ross Street) with a pre-gathering and smudge ceremony. The march will set off from the Café at 11:30 a.m., winding through the downtown core, returning by noon.
All are invited to attend the march – all cultures, abilities, ages, races and gender identities.
Following the march, a potluck lunch and sharing circle will be held. Attendees are welcome to bring food items to share with the group.
The purpose of the march is to not only bring awareness around International Women’s Day, but to connect a diverse group of women from the central Alberta region to create unity and solidarity in the community.
“The theme for Red Deer Women’s March is women healing communities,” said Sadia Khan, march organizer. “Women have always been the heart of healing communities, peace building and a visible force for positive change. We must equip and empower the women, especially the younger generation to be a catalyst for change.”
Attendees are encouraged to bring signage for the march that is empowering, inclusive and respectful. A poster making party will be held on March 3 for those who want to make a sign in advance in a collaborative setting.
The goal and messaging of the Red Deer Women’s March aligns with Women’s March Canada, on the principals that all people of all backgrounds – women and men, gender non-conforming people, indigenous and immigrants, of diverse faiths, abilities and ages – are all deserving of equality, justice, freedom and inclusion.
Organizers plan to make the march an annual event.
Event Details
What: First Annual Women’s March Red Deer
Where: CAIWA’s Club Café (5019 Ross Street, Red Deer)
When: Saturday, March 9, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Why: To bring awareness around women’s issues and in reflection of International Women’s Day
CASASC is a voluntary, non-profit organization serving the Central Alberta region under the direction of a community-based Board of Directors. CASASC educates, supports and empowers individuals, families and communities regarding all aspects of sexual abuse and sexual assault.
CAIWA aims to raise the level of awareness of immigrant women and their families in all aspects of Canadian life, and to assist them in achieving their full potential as members of Canadian society.
The Red Deer Welcoming & Inclusive Communities (WIC) Network was established following a series of City-led community conversations on building a welcoming and inclusive community related to Indigenous People, immigrants and refugees, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, visible minorities, multi-faith, persons with disabilities, multi-generations, and gender equity; all aspects of diversity.
From the Facebook page of Nicole Maurier
From GoFundMe
News release from the Red Deer & District Chamber of Commerce
Red Deer & District Chamber of Commerce to form Task Force on Homelessness in Red Deer
The Red Deer & District Chamber of Commerce will be convening a Task Force of community and business leaders to address the issues of homelessness and identify actionable steps which can be taken to tackle this generational challenge in Red Deer.
“With the release of the City of Red Deer’s Point in Time (PIT) Report on homelessness last week we are very concerned and disappointed with the effectiveness of the strategies currently in place, and the urgency by which we need to turn this situation around within our city,” commented Scott Robinson CEO of the Red Deer & District Chamber of Commerce. “Clearly our current strategies are not enough, and we need to elevate the urgency by which we get things done to reduce the number of citizens who are without a place to live. The growing number of people who are homeless is not sustainable and is impacting on our sense of pride, safety and attractiveness of our city to business and industry.”
“We will share more about this Task Force and the next steps in the coming weeks. Time has run out to act with conviction, courage, and clarity. Our community and citizens deserve that from our community leaders, and we are ready to bring the business community and the urgency required to the table.”
Over the next 60 days, the Red Deer & District Chamber of Commerce will be reaching out to its business and social agency partners to build the Task Force on homelessness and establish a strategy to address the critical steps that need to be taken to reverse the trends and further our community’s vision as a vibrant and healthy city.
Matt Cassidy, Chamber Board President. remarked “Our Chamber is positioned to be the collaborative leader in connecting our business community, social agencies, and elected officials together, to find tangible progress on this complex issue. All businesses rely on the vibrancy of our community as they strive to be sustainable, innovative, or grow, and the results of the PIT Report indicate that we need to do much more. This task force will help hold our leaders accountable for the actionable progress needed and engage one another effectively.”
“In speaking with our membership, and those working closely with the vulnerable populations there are best practices and models for delivery that are successful in other parts of the world that we need to start implementing” says Robinson. In addition, we need to look at ways that our private sector can get more involved and bring their expertise and strategic thinking to the table. As a collaborative community we also need to ensure that governments at all levels are delivering on their promises of affordable housing and eliminating barriers to expediting these investments.
Established in 1894 the Red Deer & District Chamber of Commerce is a non-partisan, collaborative business leader representing over 825 member businesses. As one of Red Deer’s oldest and most established membership organizations we are striving to build a vibrant community that fosters an environment where businesses can lead, be innovative, sustainable, and grow.
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