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Annual Vancouver Shoe Memorial honours murdered women Friday

Friday is National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, and for the 17 th year in a row hundreds of pairs of shoes will line the steps of Vancouver Art Gallery to honour women killed in B.C.
shoe memorial
Friday marks the 17th annual Vancouver Shoe Memorial honored women murdered in B.C. File photo Dan Toulgoet

Friday is National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, and for the 17th year in a row hundreds of pairs of shoes will line the steps of Vancouver Art Gallery to honour women killed in B.C.

The annual Vancouver Shoe Memorial takes place every year on Dec. 6. It’s one of many gatherings and memorials across Canada marking National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. The events commemorate the 14 women murdered on Dec. 6, 1989 at Montréal's École Polytechnique.

Every year, the Shoe Memorial places a pair of donated shoes on the steps of the art gallery to commemorate women killed in B.C. The display also includes the names of the women.

Between 1997 and 2015, a period for which there are reliable statistics, 545 women were murdered in this province.

Following Friday’s ceremony, the shoes will be donated to women’s emergency shelters for women and children in need.

The memorial takes place on the Robson Street side of the art gallery between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. There will be a ceremony at 1 p.m.