In January 1992 a woman was murdered on Powell Street in Vancouver. Her murder was the catalyst that moved women into action. Out of this sense of hopelessness and anger came an annual march on Valentine’s Day to express compassion, community, and caring for all women in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. The February 14th Women’s Memorial March is a time to come together to grieve the loss of our beloved sisters, remember the women who are still missing, and to dedicate ourselves to justice.

All are welcome to join us

Wear red, bring your drums & singing voices and walking shoes.

Red Dress Day was inspired by the 2010 exhibition by Jamie Black of lone red dresses at the University of Winnipeg. The dresses symbolized the many Indigenous women who have lost their lives to violence. Now, people all across the country come together to support the families of Missing and Murdered Indigenous loved ones by wearing red or hanging red dresses.

All are invited to join

Bring your drum, your voices and your red dresses

The annual Tears to Hope Relay Run aims to bring awareness to the on-going national crisis of MMIWG. The in-person event is a 10km relay run, taking place in picturesque Northern BC, from Prince Rupert, Gingolx, Smithers & Kitimaat Village, ending in Terrace, BC. The virtual option allows you to Run or Walk, 5K or 10K, from wherever you are.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission travelled across Canada, listening to the stories of survivors and family members of survivors of Indian Residential Schools. Those stories led to 95 calls to action.

In May of 2021, the T’kemlups te Secwepemc confirmed what survivors had been saying all along. That 215 unmarked graves were found at the Kamloops Residential School. This shocked many Canadians. Tears to Hope lead a vigil called Tears for the Children, Hope for the Future. Like our MMIWG, we remember the children who didn’t make it home. And we honour those who survived.

All are invited to join

Wear your Orange Shirt, bring your drum, compassion and your singing voices.

YAS started out as a conference to uplift and encourage teenage girls to use their voice. In response to boys, their peers, asking “What about us?” we started holding youth conferences for all youth who want to attend. Inspirational Indigenous speakers, experiential learning and entertainment.

Funded in part by the Path Forward Fund, distributed by the BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centers

In April 2025, Tears to Hope brought in fashion designer Lindsay King, of Saulteaux, Ojibway, and Mohawk heritage. Her designs have been gracing the runways around the world. A social worker before moving to a fashion career, Lindsay came and spoke to the local high school students. Then Tears to Hope hosted free bag making workshops for youth and another for women.

Funded by the Family Violence Prevention Program under the Government of Canada.

In the summer of 2023, this program was created to get girls to unplug their phones and plug into nature. Over a period of 4 weeks, the girls were taken on days trips in and around the Terrace area to connect with one another and themselves, learning how to identify their feelings and how to manage them in a healthy way.

Many family members of MMIWG use all their extra funds to help them find their loved ones. Tears to Hope wanted to give family members an opportunity to take a break, be pampered and connect with one another as family members. We brought family members to the Bear Claw Lodge in the summer of 2023 and 2024 so families could relax and recharge.

Funded by the Path Forward Fund, distributed by the BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centers

Tears to Hope has been talking with Jamie Black for many years, trying to arrange a time for her to come to Terrace to witness our relay. In May of 2025, it finally happened. Jamie’s  2010 exhibition of lone red dresses at the University of Winnipeg inspired Red Dress Day. Jamie’s visit coincided with the release of her book. Tears to Hope hosted a book reading and signing, an art workshop with Jamie, then she rode along and witnessed the people who run in the relay in honour.

This event was supported by Misty River Books, Coast Mountain College and Highwater Press

The She Is Somebody online speaker series was an event that was created to encourage and support women of all ages and backgrounds. This series spoke to youth, authors, journalists and athletes. This series saw women from all across Canada tuning in, from all walks of life; MMIWG family members, lawmakers, teachers and so much more.

Funded in partnership with Indigenous Sport & Physical Activity Recreation Council (ISPARC)

Red Dress Day was inspired by the 2010 exhibition by Jamie Black of lone red dresses at the University of Winnipeg. The dresses symbolized the many Indigenous women who have lost their lives to violence. Now, people all across the country come together to support the families of Missing and Murdered Indigenous loved ones by wearing red or hanging red dresses.

All are invited to join

Bring your drum, your voices and your red dresses

A donation to the Tears to Hope Society will help support initiatives, events and support for families of MMIWG. We are grateful for your gift. Thank you so much for your consideration in donating.

Tears to Hope Society a is non-profit organization, we are not a charity, and cannot issue charitable tax receipts.

If you would like to donate you can send an e-transfer to:

ACCOUNTING@TEARSTOHOPESOCIETY.COM

Make a cheque to:

TEARS TO HOPE SOCIETY
5684 KWINITSA AVE
TERRACE BC
V8G 0C8

or make a donation via PayPal