Tree of Hope - November 17, 2025
Event Overview
Between Ottawa Police Service Station and Parliament, trees with strings of red lights will be lit to raise awareness for MMIWG2S. On November 17th community will walk from up Elgin Street to Parliament, stopping at each location.
Logistics
Date: November 17, 2025
Location: Ottawa Police Services to Parliament Hill
Time: 4:00PM - 6:30PM
Cost: FREE
What is Tree of Hope?
The Tree of Hope Project was first initiated in 2019 by Constable Sharlene Bourdeau, a member of the Pays Plat First Nation who served 31 years with Thunder Bay Police Service. She focused her initial project on the police leading this call to pay attention. Since then, the Tree of Hope has become a powerful symbol of solidarity, remembrance, and action for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. The Tree, adorned with red lights — each representing a life — stands as a public reminder of our collective responsibility to honour, support, and protect Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQ+ community members.
The lighting of the Tree of Hope typically occurs every year on the first Sunday after Remembrance Day. This time was specifically chosen in alignment with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence Campaign and Human Rights Day, all of which occur around this time in November.
For more information, click below and explore the brochure.
MMIWG2S+ Statistics & Calls to Justice
In response to the 5,000 Indigenous women and girls who have gone missing and murdered since 1970, the federal government launched the National Inquiry on the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
From Assemblies of First Nations Report on MMWIG2S+
The National Inquiry’s 231 Calls for Justice vary in shared responsibility:
-
29 Calls for Justice exclusively call upon the federal government.
-
186 Calls for Justice collectively call upon the federal, provincial, and territorial governments.
-
6 Calls for Justice exclusively call upon provincial and territorial governments.
-
10 Calls for Justice exclusively call upon non-government actors.
The situation has, unfortunately, not improved.
-
Indigenous women make up 16% of all women who died by homicide, and 11% of missing women, yet Indigenous people make up only 4.3% of the population of Canada.
-
Indigenous women are twice as likely to experience violence from their current or former partner.
-
A little more than 13% of Indigenous people experience violence from their current or ex-partner, a proportion twice as high as non-Indigenous people (5.7%).
-
56% of Indigenous women have suffered physical assault, and 46% have experienced sexual assault. By comparison, about one-third of non-Indigenous women have suffered these assaults in their lifetimes.
Agendas
Click on the agenda to enlarge. Join us for the full event or drop in at any point during the evening for as long as you can!
Locations
Parliament Hill
City Hall
Ottawa Police Services
Elgin Street Businesses
Partners
Below are partners of Tree of Hope within the City of Ottawa. Click on a logo to see more about their organization.
Wellness Resources:
-
There is a national, toll-free 24/7 crisis call line providing mental health support for anyone who requires emotional assistance related to missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people. For assistance, call 1-844-413-6649.
-
First Nations and Inuit Hope for Wellness Help Line: 1-855-242-3310
-
Talk4Healing: 1-855-554-4325
-
Overview of Indigenous Organizations in Ottawa:
https://www.ottawaaboriginalcoalition.ca/indigenous-ottawa-organizations
Poster & Promotion
Social Media Post
Brochure