Brandon walk puts awareness into action

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This article was published 16/05/2025 (184 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A walk to end violence coloured the streets of downtown Brandon on Thursday, spreading what one organizer said is the message of putting awareness into action.

Christine Damphousse, who helped organize the Moose Hide Campaign walk yesterday, told the Sun she was pleasantly surprised by the support that turned up. Roughly 100 people participated in the walk, and Damphousse said the takeaway was that it’s important to be active with the message about stopping violence against women and children.

“I think the biggest thing is that this is reconciliation in action,” said Damphousse. “I mean awareness is one thing, but awareness doesn’t mean action, right? … It’s important to see multiple different cultures coming together to support the cause.”

A police escort briefly closed traffic outside Princess Park and guided the walk down Princess Avenue to 18th Street and back up on Victoria Avenue. Participants drummed and carried placards, eliciting honks from drivers passing by.

Damphousse, walking in the crowd, told the Sun that the turnout was encouraging.

The walk was hosted in partnership between Assiniboine College and the Brandon Urban Aboriginal Peoples’ Council. The Walk To End Violence aims to unite students, staff and community members in a shared moment to stand against violence toward women and children, Assiniboine College said in a news release.

Natashia Marion of the council told the Sun she was also happy to see so many people in support of the action.

“I’m incredibly proud of our community for always showing up,” said Marion. When asked about the message she hopes the community takes away, Marion said, “I hope they see our action towards reconciliation and spread it to others. It’s an important message to share.”

Kris Desjarlais, director of Indigenous education at Assiniboine College and the Ward 2 Brandon city councillor, said it’s important to note that the community is one of many across the country getting involved for positive change. In the college’s new release, Desjarlais commented on Assiniboine being able to help host the event.

“We are honoured to stand alongside institutions across the country as official ambassadors,” he said.

The walk on Thursday was in support of the Moose Hide Campaign, which began as a movement to engage men and boys in ending violence toward women and children. The Indigenous-led campaign started in B.C. in 2011. It has grown nationwide and has been adopted by Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians.

Schools, colleges and universities, police forces and many other organizations have become active in the walk, according to the campaign’s website.

The Moose Hide Campaign says awareness and action are crucial, and cites Statistics Canada data. On its website, the campaign points to statistics from 2006 saying one in three women will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime, and data from 2014 that says 7,969 women and children were staying in shelters across Canada on average because it was not safe at home.

» cmcdowell@brandonsun.com