August 14

"...We can hear the voice of our lost loved ones: " We are no longer in the ditch or the alley or the trunk of your car. We are not even on the street corner.  We are now present in the sun that shines, the stars that twinkle in the sky, the wind that blows and the rain, and the snow that fall upon the earth.  We have been transformed.  Let the memory of our short lives be used for good so others can enjoy the peace and freedom we were denied."

May our departed sisters and brothers rest in peace as their spirit carries us forward..."

- Kathy King,  Mother of Murder Victim (unsolved)

On August 14th, 1994 a young woman named Karen Lewis was murdered and her body thrown in a dumpster.  For several years after her death, Calgarians gathered to remember Karen and other women who were murdered. 

In 1999, Edmonton survivors, grieving parents and PAAFE board members decided it was time for Edmonton to hold a similar event.  The first Edmonton Memorial was held on August 14th,  2000.  Similar memorials where held across the country.

The memorial is a time to remember those who have lost their lives though involvement in prostitution.  Some were murdered, some took their own lives out of despair and some died as a result of addiction and disease.

Friends and family often feel alone due to the stigma attached to prostitution.  The Memorial offers a chance to gather as a community to remember and support. 

Click on the picture read the roll:

24/02/2007