Toronto Metropolitan University to host second annual Red Dress Exhibit

Toronto, ON (April 30, 2025) —  Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) will honour Msko-mjigoodenh Giizhigad | Red Dress Day, recognized as the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-Spirit People (MMIWG2S), with a full-day public event on Monday, May 5, 2025, from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM EST.

“At TMU, we are committed to raising awareness and actively responding to the Calls for Justice from the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. This event is not only an act of remembrance and space for collective grief, but also a call to our community to learn, reflect and take action,” says Crystal Osawamick, Manager, Indigenous Events and Special Projects.

Media opportunity: Capture the exhibit or request b-roll
Spokesperson available from 1-2PM: Bonnie Johnston (Anishinaabe), Registered Social Worker, BSW, MSW, RSW with specialized practice in social justice and diversity.

Bonnie is an educator dedicated to helping people and communities. Her areas of knowledge and experience include Indigenous holistic healing practices (i.e., spiritual, emotional, mental and physical),  community development, child welfare, mental health, addictions, family violence, bereavement, human trafficking, and Indigenous justice strategies.

Taking place along Gould Street (between Bond Street and Church Street) and in the Kerr Hall Quad (43 Gerrard St. East), this year’s commemoration will feature TMU’s second annual outdoor Msko-mjigoodenh Zhinoomaagewin| Red Dress Exhibit. The exhibit serves as a striking and solemn visual acknowledgement of the deep and ongoing impacts of colonial violence, and to recognize the systemic injustices that continue today.

Red dresses will be hung around the campus, symbolizing the absence of those who are missing, those whose lives have been cut short and those living in silence. TMU recognizes the significance of this day, while raising awareness of the systemic violence Indigenous women, girls and two–spirit people continue to face. Addressing this crisis requires the collective efforts of all Canadians. By attending events, listening to Indigenous voices, and advocating for justice, we contribute to lasting change.

Rooted in the REDress Project, launched in 2010 by Métis artist Jamie Black, Red Dress Day has become a powerful national symbol and call to action. In recent years, communities across the country have engaged in commemorations through marches, vigils and the hanging of red dresses in both personal and public spaces.

Media opportunity to interview spokesperson, capture the exhibit or to request b-roll. 

Spokesperson available from 1PM to 2PM.   

Please contact Tania Ulrich to confirm your participation (647-785-0984).

For more information, visit: https://www.torontomu.ca/indigenous/events/red-dress-day/

Media Contact:
Tania Ulrich (she/her)
PR & Communications Specialist
Central Communications
Toronto Metropolitan University
tulrich@torontomu.ca
647-785-0984
www.torontomu.ca