Northern police services to hold tree lighting ceremonies for MMIWG

Timmins -

Police services in Timmins, Sudbury, and Barrie are joining Thunder Bay police in a multi-community event honouring and raising awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG).

It's part of a campaign founded by Thunder Bay police called the Tree of Hope Project, where community members light a tree decorated with hundreds of red lights— symbolizing all of the known incidents of Indigenous women and girls lost to violence.

Red lights donated by Canadian Tire for MMIWG tree lighting ceremony in Timmins. Nov. 4/21 (Sergio Arangio/CTV Northern Ontario)

The Timmins Police Service's Indigenous liaison, Brenda Beaven, said other police services were invited to participate in the third year of this campaign as a show of solidarity and collective action.

"There are (MMIWG) out there and we will work together in locating missing girls and ... solving those that may have been murdered," Beaven said.

"It has to be a working together partnership and I'm hoping that Indigenous, non-Indigenous, policing (and) other agencies will be able to work together to accomplish that."

Timmins' tree lighting ceremony will include a sacred fire, smudging ceremony, and fresh bannock.

Beaven said people in the community have helped out with the event planning, including around 2,000 red lights donated by Canadian Tire, a star made by students at Timmins High and Vocational School, and ashes and a bowl for the fire were gifted by Thunder Bay police.

The Timmins event will be held Nov. 14 at 6 p.m. at the Mattagami Boulevard boat dock.