Dozens gather in Sydney to raise awareness about missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls
Dozens of people gathered and marched down George Street in Sydney, N.S., on Sunday to mark Canada's National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, also known as Red Dress Day.
Red Dress Day started in 2010 when a Métis artist in Winnipeg hung hundreds of red dresses in public places, symbolizing the loss of Indigenous women and girls.
Rhenelda Denny of Eskasoni First Nation took part in Sydney's walk. Her 21-year-old daughter, Eleanor Young, went missing in 2023.
"I really need to know what happened to my daughter," said Denny.
Young's body was found in September 2023 along an embankment off Wentworth Creek in Sydney, just a few hundred metres from where Sunday's Red Dress Walk began in Wentworth Park.
"It's hard," Denny said of her family’s loss. “We wouldn't be able to do it without the support of the Ally Centre and the Jane Paul Centre."
During Sunday's ceremony, the Ally Centre of Cape Breton announced that a 25-unit rapid housing building under construction in Sydney's north end will be named in Young's memory.
"We decided that it would be best to name that building after Eleanor Young," said Christine Porter, executive director of the Ally Centre.
"The significance of that of course is that Eleanor died homeless and we feel that these housing initiatives really need to focus on those who are really on the streets and at the highest risk."
Twelve-year-old Rhyan Paul of Eskasoni, N.S., attended the walk to speak out about Indigenous girls not much older than herself who are part of the grim story emblematized by the red dresses.
"I want the world to ask themselves, 'Why are they allowing this?" Paul said. "It's just shoved into a drawer. They'll grieve, they'll cry about it, then they'll just forget it the next day."
The walk finished at the Jane Paul Centre - a safe haven for vulnerable Indigenous women and girls.
Meanwhile, Young's mother had a plea when it comes to her daughter's case.
"Somebody needs to come forward, really, with information regarding Eleanor's passing," she said.
For more Nova Scotia news visit our dedicated provincial page.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Signs of Alzheimer’s were everywhere. Then his brain improved
Blood biomarkers of telltale signs of early Alzheimer’s disease in the brain of his patient, 55-year-old entrepreneur Simon Nicholls, had all but disappeared in a mere 14 months.
Box tree moths have infested Ontario and experts say more are coming. Here's what to do to protect your garden
An invasive moth species is on the rise in Canada and, if you've planted a certain shrub, it could stand to ruin your garden.
Lyon-bound Air Canada Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner from Montreal turns back midflight due to pressurization alert
Passengers heading from Montreal to Lyon, France on Friday were forced to return home and depart the next day after a pressurization indication was detected in flight.
Oilers dominate Canucks, win to force deciding Game 7
The Edmonton Oilers avoided elimination from the NHL playoffs Saturday night, beating the visiting Vancouver Canucks 5-1 in Game 6 of their second-round series.
The eight most expensive homes for sale in Ottawa this spring
Ottawa's ultra luxury housing market is blooming like the tulips this spring, with a significant increase in the number of homes sold worth more than $2 million.
B.C. pipeline company argues its 'haulers' are not trucks, for tax purposes
A contractor working on the Coastal GasLink pipeline has been denied more than $333,000 worth of tax rebates because pieces of machinery it purchased – and claimed were not trucks – were deemed sufficiently truck-like in B.C. Supreme Court.
$500K-worth of elvers seized at Toronto airport
Fishery and border service officers seized more than 100 kilograms of unauthorized elvers at the Toronto Pearson International Airport on Wednesday.
Usyk beats Fury by split decision, becomes undisputed heavyweight champion
Oleksandr Usyk defeated Tyson Fury by split decision to become the first undisputed heavyweight boxing champion in 24 years.
To plant or not to plant? Gardening tips for May long weekend
May long weekend is finally here, and with the extra time off you may be getting the itch to head out to your garden and plant. However, the old debate whether you should plant now, or wait, is still ever-present.