Contact:
Julia Lynx
AppreSHEation Coordinator
lynx@expertcanmore.net

Each December 6th Canadians remember the lives of 14 young women who were brutally murdered in 1989 at l'Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal. As a result of this horrific event, the Canadian government made December 6th the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. In an effort to support this National day and to bring attention to the issues of violence against women in our community, the Society Against Family Violence (SAFV), based in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, was compelled to create an event that would coincide with December 6th. And so, in 1998 AppreSHEation was born.

In the Town of Canmore, Alberta we recreate AppreSHEation each year. For this upcoming Dec. 6th the AppreSHEation theme will focus on the spirit and resiliency of Mountain Women. We feel very blessed to have so many women in our midst that can share their knowledge of mountain life in a way that will inspire us to follow our passions and instill within us a deep commitment to our mountains. Throughout the evening there will be time for disseminating information at various booths, dancing, drumming, singing, remembering and reflecting. Canmore’s own Sharon Wood, Canada’s first woman to climb Everest will be participating and prominent global photographer Baiba Morrow will be sharing slides of women from around the world within the Vigil. Many more ingenious women who have worked very hard to break down the gender walls in mountain pursuits will also be involved. In years past, by integrating our theme in a creative way we have been able to successfully host an accessible event where members of our community raise their consciousness regarding the implications of violence against women and where we respectfully honour women who are victims of violence.

People of all ages, women and men, are invited to participate in AppreSHEation. We make special effort to involve young women who may be feeling the limitations of their gender. The night is filled with a moving and memorable energy that gives people the desire to act, to make change in their own lives and to hopefully inspire us all to engage in a helpful way on a local and global scale. This year we will bring attention to this ruthless War that is happening right now and will provide information about the work the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA), is doing to help the people of Afghanistan. We also plan to make reference to the upcoming Year of the Mountains.

This year our volunteer planning committee feels strongly that we need to share this event with our country and with women around the world. If any of you would recommend a positive way that we could share AppreSHEation with the media we would appreciate your input. AppreSHEation runs from 6-9:30 PM on Thursday, December 6th at Canmore’s Policeman’s Creek Drop-In Centre. It costs $2.00 to get in. You'll even get a free AppreSHEation carabineer key chain to take home.

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