Empty red dresses will serve as a silent but powerful reminder in Lloydminster on Tuesday, May 5, honouring Indigenous women and two‑spirited people who never made it home — and calling on the community to acknowledge both their lives and their loss.
Lloydminster residents are being invited to take part in Red Dress Day, a national day of awareness recognizing missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two‑spirited people.
Red Dress Day uses the image of empty red dresses hung in public spaces as a powerful visual symbol. According to the Lloydminster Native Friendship Centre, the purpose of the red dress is to call the spirits of missing and murdered Indigenous women and two‑spirited people back to their loved ones. In a social media post, the organization says the day is meant to speak directly to the gendered and racialized nature of violent crimes against Indigenous women, while also evoking a presence by marking their absence.
Observed annually on May 5, Red Dress Day has become a time for reflection, learning and solidarity across Canada. The red dresses symbolize lives taken too soon and highlight the ongoing need for awareness, accountability, and change.
The day’s activities include:
- Pipe Ceremony led by an Elder at Lloydminster Native Friendship Centre (LNFC) at 10:00 a.m.
- Memorial Walk – Meet at City Hall for a walk to LNFC from 11:15 a.m.
- Program and lunch to follow from noon with speakers, singer and dancer
