Red clothing hung along TCH in honour of woman killed in Conne River

Two women hung hundreds of pieces of red clothingin Glenwood and along the Trans Canada-Highway Friday, hoping to catch the eyeof travellers headed to Conne River for Saturday's funeral forChantel John.

The 28-year-old woman was killed in the community last week and following her death, MiawpukekFirst NationChiefMi'selJoe asked people to wear red, and display red clothing,in her honour.

The striking image of the red garments against the white snow was meant to be a symbol of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, ofthe pain and the healing the community of Conne River is experiencing, and ofall women who live with violence "and are unnoticed," according to Simone Bown, who helped put the clothingup.

"We figured that the more we get the better, to make this more overpowering than just one hung up in one garden," she said.

"People that see these things, maybe it's going on in their homes, who knows?"

It could help give peope the courage to reach out and ask someone for help, she said.

Support overwhelming

Bown worked with Lisa John to gather all the garments. The womenasked thrift stores, community organizations, friends and family for donations of red clothing and were expectingmaybe a few grocery bagsto come in.

"Itpoured in, the garbage bags and garbage bags of red clothing," Johnsaid. "The support was unbelievable. This is a big thing, and we need toget it out there."

Clothes came in fromas far away as St. John's,she said.

The two spent hours on Friday hanging it all up, sometimes climbing through deep snow.

"We just hung them everywhere."

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