Man and His Dog Walking Highway of Tears
Brett Merchant and his dog Kura during a pit stop in Prince George Wednesday – photo 250News
Prince George, B.C. – A Kimberley man is doing what he can to raise awareness about missing and murdered aboriginal women.
Brett Merchant is walking the entire length (1236 km) of Highway 16, better known as the Highway of Tears, from the B.C. border to Haida Gwaii. He started his trek September 1st.
“I am doing this to raise awareness for the women that have lost their lives and the ones still missing,” he said during a pit stop in Prince George this week. “Everybody’s exactly the same. We’ve whacked them down to the ground through colonialism and it’s hard for them to get back up.”
Merchant says he’s embarked on the walk now while he still has the capacity to do so.
“I am facing significant health issues. I have SLE lupus, early onset dementia and diabetes and am very aware that I have a limited time in which I will be physically able to make a difference in the world.”
He says his goal is to arrive in Old Massett on Haida Gwaii, the end of Highway 16, by December 31st.
Merchant has set up a gofundme page for those who would like to donate to his cause. He plans to put the money towards a new aboriginal women’s shelter.
Merchant has brought his dog along for the journey – Kura – a half Siberian Husky and half wolf.
“I need a companion. I always have a dog.” No fancy hotel stays for these two though – he says he plans to pitch a tent at the side of the highway and stay in the odd campground the entire way.
Comments
I’m not sure his timing is all that good, as it isn’t overly safe once the snow starts falling! Hope there aren’t any accidents caused as a result of this! Lots of 18 wheelers out there with traffic that is sketchy at the best of times.
Yes, lets ignore what his walk is all about and concentrate on his personal safety, lets ignore the fact that highway is not safe for women and girls.
“I am doing this to raise awareness for the women that have lost their lives and the ones still missing,”
Thank you kind sir!
It’s called Highway 16 West, not the Highway of Tears.
Yes, I agree it is Highway 16 West, and it would not be dubed “Highway of Tears” if women and young girls and didn’t hitch hike on it.
Number 1 – Women and young girls shouldn’t be hitch hiking on any highway. It’s reckless and dangerous.
Number 2 – take some GD personal responsibility for your behaviours.
Highway of Tears is a misnomer for Highway 16 West if you actually look at the missing and murdered women on the “Highway of Tears” list. Half have nothing to do with 16 West even remotely.
Best of luck to you Brett. Sure can see the wolf in your dog.
RCMP missing persons for BC right now is at a count of 63 persons, 43 of those missing persons are males. The RCMP website has pictures of all those missing persons, for those that care enough to look.
64 missing persons, 44 being males. One of the pictures or lack of a picture contains 2 men.
“An RCMP report released last year counted, between 1980 and 2012, 40 unsolved aboriginal female murders and 36 missing cases in which foul play was suspected in B.C. These were by far the highest numbers in the country, despite this province having a far smaller population than Ontario and Quebec.”
.vancouversun.com/news/many+missing+murdered+aboriginal+women+from/11490141/story.html
Yup BC is number one, given the prevailing racist attitudes towards them, why should we be surprised?
Hmmm… the above link does not seem to be working, here it is in tiny url format.
ht tp://tinyurl.com/zacxktk
Maybe the odd person along the way might be able to offer this gentleman and his dog a bed and meal for the night.
Hope so anyway. Maybe if word goes out ahead of him……….
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