ONWA: 9th Annual Valentine’s Memorial Walk
Press Release
February 15, 2017
Keeping the memory of a loved one alive is just one of the reasons so many people take part in the Annual Memorial Walk organized by Sharon Johnson and friends. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the unsolved death of her younger sister Sandra Kaye Johnson.
The walk Tuesday started off at city hall with opening remarks from city councillor Larry Hebert, Deputy Grand Chief Anna Betty Achneepineskun, Fort William First Nation councillor Michele Solomon and the Ontario Native Women’s Association (ONWA). Everyone at the walk today was connected someway or impacted by the loss of a loved one and there to offer support to families and friends.
Sharon Johnson said “the walks are never easy to organize but I do it to feel connected to my sister. She was the youngest of seven. She was my best friend. She was a fancy shawl dancer from the time she could walk, that was her first love.”
ONWA knows first-hand that Indigenous women face higher rates of violence then their non-indigenous counterparts and work diligently towards ending violence against women. ONWA is encouraged that an Inquiry into Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls is in motion.
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For more information, please contact:
Jolene Banning
Public Relations Coordinator
Phone: 807-623-3442
Email: jbanning@onwa.ca
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