Pillars of Hope & Strength
More than 40 Indigenous women and girls have been found murdered or gone missing along Highway 16, also known as the Highway of Tears. They were daughters, sisters, aunties, nieces, friends, and loved ones.
The disappearances and murders along Highway 16 have continued for decades. There is still a fundamental need to raise awareness about the victims, as well as to prevent future violence against Indigenous women and girls.
Members of the Highway of Tears Governing Body and Carrier Sekani Family Services are leading the creation and installation of two carved pillars to commemorate the women and girls who have been lost along the Highway and honour their families. The pillars will serve as important awareness markers and peaceful visiting places for rest and remembrance for the families and the broader community.
Each pillar will be made up of four rounded cedar panels. Original art designs by local Indigenous artists will be sandblasted onto each panel along with painting certain portions. This method will ensure the longevity of the art designs for future generations to enjoy.
Funding has been secured for the Prince George Pillar of Hope, and we are currently seeking funding for the Prince Rupert Pillar of Strength project.
The Pillar of Hope
The pillar in Prince George will be named the Pillar of Hope and will be placed at Cottonwood Island Park. The location was chosen together with members of the Highway of Tears Governing Body, the Lheidli T’enneh First Nation, and the City of Prince George.
The foundation for the pillar is complete, and the art designs will be sandblasted onto the four cedar panels in the coming weeks. The images for the panels were designed by Clayton Gauthier, a local artist from the Nak’azdli Whut’en Nation.
Plans are to unveil this beautiful monument as part of the closing ceremony for the 20th Anniversary Highway of Tears Symposium on April 10, 2026.
This pillar will be a place where families and friends of the women and girls lost to the Highway of Tears can come to remember their loved ones, grieve, and find comfort.
Unveiling Ceremony
The Pillar of Hope will be unveiled on April 10, 2026 at the close of the 20th Anniversary Symposium to honour and commemorate the lives of the women and girls who have been lost to violence. Family members will be invited to witness the unveiling ceremony.
There are plans to film the unveiling to produce a short documentary to capture the process, intention, and care involved in each step of this pillar’s creation.
The Pillar of Strength
The Prince Rupert monument will be named the Pillar of Strength and will be located on Lax Kw’alaam territory on the corner of First Avenue East. The land was chosen with the Lax Kw’alaam Nation.
The art designs for this project are currently being developed by Jim Hart, an artist from Haida Gwaii.
We are planning to have an unveiling ceremony sometime in the fall of 2026. Please stay tuned for more details.
Partners & Funding
The Pillar project was made possible, in part, through the generous funding of the following donors:
– Heritage Canada
– BC Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General
– CN Rail, Indigenous Relations
– Trigon BC, Prince Rupert
– Northern Savings Credit Union, Prince Rupert
– Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada
– City of Prince George
Donate now
We are seeking more support for the Prince Rupert Pillar of Strength.
To aupport the creation of the Pillars and the lasting impact they will make, click the donate button and select “Pillars of Hope & Strength” from the dropdown.
Media
All media inquiries can be directed to Andrea Palmer, Director of Communications at apalmer@csfs.org.
