Red Deer's City Hall building was lit in purple from sundown on Nov. 2 to sunrise on Nov. 3 in honor of Family Violence Prevention Month. (Alessia Proietti)

By Alessia Proietti

Paint the town purple this November

Let there be light: Family Violence Prevention Month

Nov 4, 2021 | 11:18 AM

If you were looking at Red Deer’s night skies over the week, you may have noticed a purple hue; and you’re not wrong. November is Family Violence Prevention month and the Purple Light Nights campaign seeks to bring awareness to the issue of domestic violence.

Originally established in Covington, Washington, the Purple Light Nights campaign was brought to Central Alberta in 2016 by the Soroptimist International of Central Alberta, an organization helping female economic empowerment.

“For the longest time and even continuing now, we are the only place in Alberta that does it in Central Alberta,” says Sherrie Smith, President of the Soroptimist International of Central Alberta.

They’ve coordinated with cities and organizations to come up with many ways to encourage the public to paint their towns purple; the symbolic color for domestic violence.

On Tuesday, Red Deer’s City Hall was lit in purple from sundown to sunrise in support of the cause, thanks to the work of the Outreach Center and the Domestic Relationship Violence Initiative Committee.

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Some of the main issues brought this year to the Outreach Centre were in relation to poverty, homelessness, grief, access to legal aid, protection orders for women and children, and a high demand for the domestic violence shelter, says Executive Director Ian Wheeliker.

“As the pandemic recedes and people are feeling freer to move around, government and our sector are bracing for a flood of clients coming forward who, because of isolation or because of fear during the pandemic of going out and going to places, have not been reaching out for help,” Wheeliker told rdnewsNOW.

On Friday, the Outreach Centre will also be hosting their annual Frontline Service Provider Awards at Red Deer’s Golf and Country Club at 11:30 a.m. where mayor Ken Johnston will be present and Senator Paul Simons via Zoom.

“We think it’s appropriate and important to acknowledge the work of those people from multiple agencies across the community that are engaged in the work helping to mitigate risk, prevention work and direct intervention with people experiencing domestic violence,” says Wheeliker.

The Central Alberta Sexual Assault Support Centre has been promoting the wearing of purple at multiple information stands around the city, their first at Red Deer Polytechnic on Nov. 1.

Purple light bulbs can be purchased from the Soroptimist organization, but so can t-shirts and handmade purple lit wreaths. All proceeds go towards the Purple Angel Fund. Created by Sylvia, a Soroptimist volunteer, the fund helps support educational needs for child victims of family violence.

“Those kids who usually lose a parent to domestic violence might also lose their second parent, especially if they’re the offender,” says Smith. “They might not have the chance to be in band in school or might not have a chance to go on a school trip.”

Towns across Central Alberta are also joining in on the purple haze. In Whitecourt, the Family Violence Initiative is supplying free purple glow sticks for locals to hang on their front porches. The town of Penhold will be hosting their 7^th annual Creating a Vision For Non-Violence Conference virtually on Nov.12. In Sylvan Lake, their lighthouse will be guiding boats in purple all month long.

For Red Deer, Smith’s goal is to light a pine tree in City Hall park, as she did every year for the cause, and to one day light the Red Deer River bridge in purple.

“Reach out and get some help. Break the silence,” advises Wheeliker.

If you or someone else needs help in Alberta, call the free Family Violence Info Line at 310-1818, available 24/7 and in 170 languages.

If unsafe to speak on the phone, Alberta’s online chat is also available at alberta.ca/safetychat.