Participants pause for a moment of silence before beginning the Take Back The Night march from City Hall

Prince George, BC – In 1996, Hazel White was murdered in a home at Cluculz Lake by her best friend’s abusive ex-partner…she had been trying to protect her friend and her friend’s children…

Sarah de Vries was last seen at the corner of Hastings and Princess in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside in April of 1998.  In August of 2002, police notified de Vries’ sister that her DNA had been found on Robert Pickton’s property in Port Coquitlam.

Both women were remembered at last night’s annual Take Back The Night rally and march in Prince George.  And a call was issued for ideas on how to prevent anymore women from going missing along the Highway of Tears, between Prince George and Prince Rupert.

"This is a disturbing event," UNBC Associate Professor of Social Work, Si Transken, told the crowd.  "Where we’re celebrating and filled with verve and effervescence about women coming together and men being on our side, too, and making the world a better place – all of us together."

"But at the same time, there’s still a lot of really wretched things going on."

As part of Prevention of Violence Against Women week events in the lead up to last night’s rally, a project was undertaken to honour Hazel White’s memory.  Surpassing Our Survival Society member, Claire Johnson, displayed the resulting quilts meant to recognize the many women in our community that show courage in the face of adversity.

"These quilt squares have been joined together to testify to the fact that even when a woman’s voice is silenced," said Johnson, "Her creative hands still tell the truth.  We will not tolerate violence.  We will not be silenced."

Maggie de Vries is UNBC’s Writer-in-Residence, who lost her sister to the violence that occurred on Robert Pickton’s farm.  She said that inaction on the part of police and a lack of sense of urgency in society at-large, meant it took years to catch Pickton, even though he had been at the top of lists of suspects within months of Sarah’s disappearance.

de Vries said she’s heartened to hear that RCMP haved teamed up with UNBC to conduct a study into hitchhiking along Highway 16 West.  "Information-seeking implies a willingness to listen, an acknowledgement of the need to learn," she said.

"As a society, we are too quick to place the blame on the women, themselves – if you would just stop getting into cars, if you would just stop hitchhiking, if you would just stop wearing such revealing clothes, if you would just stay out of that neighbourhood."

"I am glad to hear that efforts are being made to listen – to really listen – and to learn."

But Pam Scorah said that not enough is being done to protect the vulnerable and marginalized women in our area.  The Regional Manager with the Native Courtworkers and Counselling Association relayed the story of a 78-year-old woman who was summoned to court in Prince George from Vanderhoof.  The grandmother had had difficulty getting to Prince George and when her case was put over to the end of the day, she had no ride home afterwards.  Scorah says a compassionate courtworker gave her money for the return trip.

But Scorah said this is happening time and time again.  "When they’re summoned, when they don’t have a ride – they have to hitchhike and that puts our women at risk."  She said it’s a growing concern shared by all courtworkers.  She mentioned a partnership with Greyhound bus lines with a ticket voucher system as one possible solution, but she issued a challenge to those attending the rally, "Come and talke to me if you’ve got some really good ideas."