Pillars of Hope and Strength, CSFS Part 1/2

If you’ve worked in the gender-based violence sector in British Columbia, you’ve heard of the Highway of Tears. Twenty years ago, a symposium was held to address crisis of Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people (MMIWG2S), along Highway 16, running from Prince George to Prince Rupert, BC. Today, our member Carrier Sekani Family Services is looking to fulfill one of the recommendations put forward by the surviving family and friends of victims and bring hope and strength to their community of Prince George, BC with an unprecedented memorial monument – The Pillars of Hope and Strength. We spoke with two team members from CSFS leading this project, Michelle Jones, Director of Justice and Annie Weinard, Project Coordinator, on their personal history, reflections on the pillars, and their hopes for the future.