Take Back the Night in Guelph 2010

2010 Take Back the Night

2010-09-10T08:01:00.000-07:00

We're Taking It Back!

On Thursday, September 30^th at 6 pm, the Guelph community will gather at Marianne’s Park to take part in a rally and march to “say NO!” to sexualized violence against women and children.

The Take Back the Night rally will feature guest speakers, activities for children, t-shirt making, and community monologues. Everyone is welcome to come to the rally from 6 to 6:45 pm (at Marianne's Park), and 7:30pm (St. George's Square). Women, transwomen and children are invited to participate in the march that will leave Marianne’s Park at 6:45 pm. We welcome men to support participants throughout the march from the sidewalks, joining together in solidarity before and after the march.

The Take Back the Night location also has a deep significance to the Guelph community. The Take Back the Night is held at Marianne’s Park. The City of Guelph dedicated the park to Marianne Goulden in 1993, after she was stabbed by Timothy Weldon, her common-law partner, in front of her teenage daughter. Marianne Goulden was one of the first women to stay at the Women in Crisis shelter. She later became an employee of the shelter and women staying there soon began saying they were staying at “Marianne’s Place”, a name that has stayed to this day.

Take Back the Night is coordinated by Guelph-Wellington Women in Crisis. For more information, please visit the Take Back the Night Guelph Blog at takebackthenightguelph.blogspot.com

Media Contact:

Jessica St. Peter

Public Educator, Guelph-Wellington Women in Crisis

519 836 1110 ext. 234 (work)

wiceducator@gwwomenincrisis.org Website: takebackthenightguelph.blogspot.com

2010 Take Back the Night

2010-06-03T11:32:00.000-07:00

Planning for 2010's Take Back the Night will be happening soon. Stay tuned for more details!

What a Night!

2009-09-18T12:19:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all the enthusiastic rally supporters, marchers, volunteers, performers and contributors to Take Back the Night!
It was so much fun and many people took notice. We appreciate all the brave people who came out and raised their voices. It is all the more important for those who aren't able to speak out safely.

If you are interested in planning for next year, be sure to send us a message via e-mail or phone.

Sept 15 and 16: Silkscreening and Sign Making events for Take Back the Night!

2009-09-04T10:10:00.001-07:00

tuesday september 15 and
wednesday september 16
silk screening and placard making workshop
for Take Back the Night

University Centre room 107
University Of Guelph
Guelph Resource Centre for Gender Empowerment and Diversity
email grcged.coordinator@gmail.com for times

the guelph resource centre for gender empowerment and diversity is hosting placard making and silk screening for the annual Take Back the Night march. Create your own Take Back the Night Shirt (bring a t-shirt to screen print), cloth badge and big sign!

Thanks to GRCGED for supporting Take Back the Night

Planning Meeting: September 1st

2009-08-28T12:21:00.000-07:00

Want to get involved in an exciting community event? Take Back the Night has been happening in Guelph for over 20 years!

Take Back the Night Planning Meeting
Tuesday, September 1st
4 pm - 5 pm
at the Sexual Assault Centre, 38 Elizabeth Street (next to the Red Chevron), Guelph

We welcome your ideas, input and enthusiasm! This year the march will be from Marianne's Park and ending in a community rally (with performances, speakers, community booths and food) at St. George's Square. We are looking for good ideas for performers, speakers and activities. All are welcome. For more information please e-mail wiceducator@gwwomenincrisis.org

Take Back the Night 2009

2009-07-29T06:21:00.001-07:00

This year's Take Back the Night Rally and March will take place on Thursday, September 17th, 2009. Stay tuned for more details!

Thank you!

2008-09-22T06:23:00.001-07:00

Photo by Nick Iwanyshyn, Guelph Mercury

Jen Plyler, amateur boxer and coordinator of the Shape Your Life boxing program for women and trans survivors of violence speaks at Take Back the Night 2008 in Guelph on September 18, 2008.

Check out the article by the Guelph Mercury.

A big thank you to all the volunteers and participants in Take Back the Night 2008. The event was a success because of all your hard work. Over 120 people came to the event on Thursday night. A group of people from the Guelph Resource Centre for Gender Empowerment and Diversity wore their silkscreened TBTN Tshirts and brought beautifully painted signs. The Guelph Women's Drum opened the event with two songs. Then Juanita Wilkins performed to the crowd, while people mingled or sat on the grass. People signed the giant "Stop Violence" stop-sign and wrote what kind of violence they'd like to stop. At the Arts and Crafts table, banners were made, and children had their faces painted. There were even appearances by the Guelph Gryphons Women's Hockey team and some election candidates. There were baked goods provided by With The Grain and Guelph Water courtesy of containers from Wellington Water Watchers.

The march made its way through downtown Guelph with lots of people with strollers and dogs along for the walk. We were cheered on and supported by others along the way. We will keep on marching until the streets and homes are safe for all in this community.

If you are interested in participating in the 2009 Take Back the Night planning committee, please e-mail wiceducator AT gwwomenincrisis DOT org.

TONIGHT: TBTN Silkscreening and Sign Making Event

2008-09-17T07:34:00.000-07:00

Bring your own T-shirt and create your own custom Take Back the Night wear!
Raise your Voice! Make your own Take Back the Night Sign!

Tonight, Wednesday September 17th at the Guelph Resource Centre for Gender Empowerment (University of Guelph) there will be a workshop on silkscreening and a sign making party!

5:30-7 pm
presented by the
Guelph Resource Centre for Gender Empowerment and Diversity (GRCGED)
University Centre, University of Guelph
facilitated by Aislinn Thomas

For more information, please phone GRCGED at
519 824 4120 ext. 58559
This workshop is open to everyone.

2008 Take Back the Night Press Release

2008-09-16T08:37:00.001-07:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – September 16, 2008
Female Boxer to Speak at Guelph Take Back the Night Rally

On Thursday, September 18th at 6 pm, Guelph residents will gather at Marianne’s Park to take part in a rally and march to “say NO!” to sexualized violence against women and children. The event will open with a drumming circle by the Guelph Women’s Drum followed by a musical performance by folk singer Juanita Wilkins. The rally will also feature Jen Plyler a boxer from Toronto’s Shape Your Life program (which ran this year from the Toronto Newsgirls Boxing Gym). Shape Your Life is an initiative that helps female and trans survivors of violence empower themselves and gain self-esteem through the sport of boxing.

The Take Back the Night location also has a deep significance to the Guelph community. The Take Back the Night is held at Marianne’s Park. The City of Guelph dedicated the park to Marianne Goulden in 1993, after she was stabbed by Timothy Weldon, her common-law partner, in front of her teenage daughter. This month, Weldon requested to be released from the psychiatric facility where he is being held. An Ontario Review Board rejected the request on September 9th. Marianne Goulden was one of the first women to stay at the Women in Crisis shelter. She later became an employee of the shelter and women staying there soon began saying they were staying at “Marianne’s Place”, a name that has stayed to this day.

In 2007, a record 1053 domestic violence incidents were reported to Guelph Police—an average of 2.8 incidents per day. Reports of sexual assault, child pornography possession by Guelph and area residents, and other related crimes have appeared frequently in Guelph newspapers over the past year. In 2007, Guelph Police received 60 sexual assault complaints, an average of one sexual assault complaint per week. However, the vast majority of sexual assaults will never be reported to the police, and most survivors are left silenced.

“Take Back the Night is the one night of the year where women, transwomen and children can walk through the streets of Guelph unaccompanied,” explained Zhaleh Afshar, Public Educator, Guelph-Wellington Women in Crisis. “Most survivors of violence have been abused by people they know, with this march we demand safety in our homes and on our streets. Unfortunately, women and children are still not safe in our community”.

The Take Back the Night rally will feature activities for children, crafts, and face painting. Everyone is welcome to come to the rally from 6 to 7:30 pm. Women, transwomen and children are invited to participate in the march that will leave Marianne’s Park at 7:30 pm.
Take Back the Night is coordinated by Guelph-Wellington Women in Crisis. For more information, please visit the Take Back the Night Guelph Blog at takebackthenightguelph.blogspot.com

Media Contact:
Zhaleh Afshar
Public Educator, Guelph-Wellington Women in Crisis
519 836 1110 ext. 234 (work)
Website: takebackthenightguelph.blogspot.com

Find Take Back the Night on Facebook!

2008-09-08T12:07:00.000-07:00

Click the "Find Us on Facebook" button to find our new page! We have just created a new Guelph-Wellington Women in Crisis Page on Facebook.

Find all the 2008 Take Back the Night information on our Guelph-Wellington Women in Crisis Facebook Page and send your friends an Invite through Facebook by becoming a Fan!

Volunteer Meeting - Tuesday, Sept. 9th

2008-09-05T06:32:00.000-07:00

Are you interested in volunteering for Take Back the Night 2008? We are looking for volunteers and event helpers. Are you interested in getting involved with the event through speaking, having your organization's pamphlets at the event or in another way?

We will be having a Take Back the Night Volunteer Meeting next week!

Tuesday, September 9th at 3 pm
at Marianne's Park
(On Gordon Street, across the river by The Boathouse)
(please RSVP if you are planning on attending)

Rain location: Guelph-Wellington Women in Crisis Sexual Assault Centre
38 Elizabeth Street
(next to the Red Chevron)

Please send an e-mail to wiceducator AT gwwomenincrisis DOT org if you plan on attending this meeting.

Silkscreening and Sign Making Event!

2008-09-03T09:15:00.000-07:00

ON the eve before Take Back The Night, learn how to make your own silkscreened craft and paint your own sign to bring with you to the rally and march.

The Silkscreening and Sign Making Event

Wednesday, September 17th, 2008
5:30-7 pm
presented by the
Guelph Resource Centre for Gender Empowerment and Diversity (GRCGED)
University Centre, University of Guelph
facilitated by Aislinn Thomas

For more information, please phone GRCGED at
519 824 4120 ext. 58559
This workshop is open to everyone.

Poster for 2008! Contact us for a copy!

2008-08-28T07:03:00.001-07:00

Take Back the Night 2008

2008-08-27T12:08:00.000-07:00

On Thursday September, 18th, at 6 pm. Guelph's Annual Take Back the Night Rally and March will take place at Marianne's Park in Guelph. We are currently looking for volunteers and organizations interested in having brochures or information at the event.

We welcome volunteers of all backgrounds in genders who are interested in ending violence against women and promoting equality. If you are interested in helping out with the event, please e-mail wiceducator AT gwwomenincrisis DOT org.

We will be posting a list of volunteer positions shortly.

Great Rally, Great March!

2007-09-21T12:32:00.001-07:00

Over a hundred people gathered at Marianne's Park last night for the 20th Annual Take Back the Night in Guelph. A group of women from many different age groups, riding bicycles, rolling on wheelchairs marched through Downtown Guelph. Participants called for safe streets, safe homes, and a safe Guelph community.

Check out the Guelph Mercury article today! Thank you to all our volunteers and community partners.

Workshop Photos

2007-09-19T07:05:00.000-07:00

We'd like to thank our sponsor, OPIRG and the many participants of our Silkscreening 101 workshop last night at the OPIRG office. Many creations were made with TBTN themes. In these pictures you can see participants working at their patches and t-shirts. Look out for TBTN gear at the rally and march tomorrow.

And be sure to come by the OPIRG office (1 Trent Lane, off of College Avenue, behind Creelman Hall) for our Take Back the Night Sign Making Party, tonight! 5:30 PM). Thanks to CUPE local 1334 for providing us with poster board for our signs.

Store Displays in the Take Back the Night Spirit

2007-09-18T11:58:00.000-07:00

The Bookshelf and On the Verge are "taking back the night" in their store windows. Be sure to stop by their storefronts downtown to see their creative Take Back the Night-themed displays.
On the Verge is at 112 Wyndham Street North, Guelph.
The Bookshelf is at 41 Quebec Street, Guelph.

Photos of the window displays coming to this site soon!

New Time for Silkscreening 101 Event

2007-09-14T08:36:00.001-07:00

Silkscreening 101 - Make Your Own Take Back the Night Patch or T-shirt NOW AT 5 PM

Tuesday, September 18th
NEW TIME: 5 pm
OPIRG Guelph Office, 1 Trent Lane (Trent Lane and College Ave. Behind Creelman Hall)

Learn basic silkscreening and create your very own patch or t-shirt for the Take Back the Night Rally and March. Bring your creativity and ideas. Silkscreening and patch-making materials will be provided. Bring your own cotton t-shirt you'd like to silkscreen (optional but not required). All are welcome!

And don't forget about our Super Amazing TBTN Sign-Making Party (with snacks!)

Wednesday, September 19th
5:30 pm
OPIRG Guelph Office, 1 Trent Lane (Trent Lane and College Ave. behind Creelman Hall)

Make your own Take Back the Night sign, placard or banner to bring to the Take Back the Night Rally and March on the 20th. Fun art supplies and snacks will be provided. All are welcome!

Advance Media Release for Take Back the Night

2007-09-14T07:53:00.001-07:00

Guelph Marks 20 Years of Take Back the Night, But Sexualized Violence Persists In Community

Thursday, September 20th, at 6 pm, Guelphites will gather at Marianne’s Park, to take part in a rally and march to raise awareness about sexualized violence against women and children. Women in Belgium started Take Back the Night in 1976. At the International Tribunal on Crimes Against Women, they walked at night in a group to demonstrate against the violence that pervades women’s lives. In Guelph, Take Back the Night has been happening for over 20 years. “Every individual must realise that violence against women affects the entire community, and it must stop,” says Sly Castaldi, Executive Director of Guelph-Wellington Women in Crisis. “The existence of violence against women undermines the ability of our community to evolve and grow in a positive manner”.

In 2006, a record 927 domestic violence incidents were reported to Guelph Police—an average of 2.5 incidents per day. Since 1997, Guelph Police recorded an average of 620 domestic violence incidents each year. Ontario university campuses are still reeling from high-profile sexual assaults at Carleton and York Universities. Over the last 10 years, Guelph Police have received an average of 66 sexual assault complaints each year—an average amount of more than one complaint a week. However, the vast majority of sexual assaults will never be reported to the police.

The Take Back the Night rally will feature activities for children, crafts, and face painting. Anishnabeg Outreach members will be drumming and singing for the opening of the event. The speaker is Mary Lou Smoke, a cultural counselor with the Sisters in Spirit Campaign to raise awareness about the high rates of violence against Aboriginal women in Canada. “We invited Mary Lou Smoke to speak for our 20th commemoration of Take Back the Night in Guelph, because since 1987, approximately 500 Aboriginal women have gone missing in Canada,” explains Zhaleh Afshar, Public Educator at Guelph-Wellington Women in Crisis. “The Sisters In Spirit Campaign and other groups like Amnesty International have noticed how little attention has been paid to these vanished women”.

Take Back the Night is coordinated by Guelph-Wellington Women in Crisis, and several community partners and volunteer members, including the Ontario Public Interest Research Group, the Care and Treatment Centre for Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence of the Guelph General Hospital, and the Human Rights Office of the Central Students Association of the University of Guelph. For more information, please visit the Take Back the Night Guelph Blog at takebackthenightguelph.blogspot.com

Media Contact:
Zhaleh Afshar
Public Educator, Guelph-Wellington Women in Crisis
(519) 826-4771 or (519) 836-1110
wiceducator@gwwomenincrisis.org Website: takebackthenightguelph.blogspot.com

Silkscreening 101 and Sign Making Party!

2007-09-11T10:11:00.000-07:00

New Events for Take Back the Night:

Silkscreening 101 - Make Your Own Take Back the Night Patch or T-shirt

Tuesday, September 18th
NEW TIME: 5 pm
OPIRG Guelph Office, 1 Trent Lane (Trent Lane and College Ave. Behind Creelman Hall)

Learn basic silkscreening and create your very own patch or t-shirt for the Take Back the Night Rally and March. Bring your creativity and ideas. Silkscreening and patch-making materials will be provided. Bring your own cotton t-shirt you'd like to silkscreen (optional but not required). All are welcome!

TBTN Sign-Making Party (with snacks!)

Wednesday, September 19th
5:30 pm
OPIRG Guelph Office, 1 Trent Lane (Trent Lane and College Ave. behind Creelman Hall)

Make your own Take Back the Night sign, placard or banner to bring to the Take Back the Night Rally and March on the 20th. Fun art supplies and snacks will be provided. All are welcome!

Why Marianne's Park?

2007-08-31T09:27:00.000-07:00

Marianne's Park has been the site of Take Back the Night rallies and December 6th vigils for the past 14 years. Marianne's Park is on the Speed River, on busy Gordon Street in Guelph. In 1993, the park was dedicated to Marianne Goulden. Who was Marianne Goulden, and why was the park named after her?

Check out this article by Christine McDowell on the CitizenShift website. Sly Castaldi is now the Executive Director of Guelph-Wellington Women in Crisis.

Calling All Volunteers

2007-08-31T09:02:00.000-07:00

Take Back the Night Needs You!

Send an e-mail to wiceducator [AT] gwwomenincrisis [DOT] org with your name, phone number and what volunteer positions you are interested in. We welcome volunteers of all genders.

We are still looking for people to fill the following positions:

Before the event:

Postering

Day of September 20th:

Setup (arrive on site at Marianne's Park at 5 pm)
Take Down (help to clean up after the march, from approximately 8-9 pm)
Helping with crafts, sign-making and other fun activities, like Facepainting during the rally
Marshalls for the march (we need at least 10 of you to help guide people on the march route, a short training will be provided)
Handing out Glowsticks and Candles during the rally and the march
Chant Leaders for the rally and march

Let us know what interests you, or if you have any ideas for activities or skills that you'd like to put into Take Back the Night.

It's Here! The Take Back the Night Poster!

2007-08-28T13:07:00.000-07:00

You will be seeing Take Back the Night 2007 posters on the streets very soon. Posters are available for you to post in your organization, workplace, neighborhood or school.
To get copies of the poster or the Take Back the Night flyer (available in different sizes, black and white, and colour), please call (519) 826-4771.

Thank you to Candace Sepulis of www.ballyhoomedia.com for so generously donating her time for this project. Candace designed the poster and its illustration. Please visit her website for more examples of her work.

Getting Ready for September 20th

2007-08-27T11:51:00.000-07:00

Take Back the Night is just around the corner. We hope you can join us!

20th Annual Take Back the Night
Thursday, September 20th

Rally at 6 pm
March begins at 7 pm
Marianne's Park
(Gordon Street, across the river from the Boathouse)

Everyone is welcome to participate in the rally.
Women and children are invited to participate in the march.
This is a trans-positive event.
Some parking is available nearby. Marianne's Park is accessible by public transit (#51 and #52 buses).

Our definition of "woman" is broad and inclusive. It embraces women who reject traditional notions of gender in their self-identity, including transgender women.

The march has a focus on women and children only, to demonstrate women's safety achieved only in numbers, and to look towards a future where women and children can feel safe walking the streets and in their own homes. Men are invited to attend the rally and other events in solidarity, to walk outside, alongside the march or assist with childcare and supporting other efforts (financial or otherwise) to help end violence against women.

For more information about the event, volunteering opportunities or if you are interested in helping out with planning, please call (519) 826-4771

Watch this blog for more details...