Red heels scuffed the pavement along Barrie’s waterfront as a determined crowd pressed forward, not for style points, but for survival. Each step echoed a promise: no one in this city walks alone.
Saturday’s Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event drew a diverse crowd to the city’s shoreline. Men, women, and children laced up crimson heels or donned flashes of red, transforming a brisk afternoon into a march fuelled by both solidarity and purpose. The annual walk, orchestrated by the Women and Children’s Shelter of Barrie, channels community energy into something tangible—funds and awareness for those fleeing violence.
Organizers set an ambitious goal: raise $60,000 to keep emergency shelter, counselling, and transitional services running strong. According to shelter representatives, their team helps over 1,500 women and children each year, offering round-the-clock support for those facing intimate partner violence and human trafficking. Without the steady drumbeat of public involvement and generosity, these vital lifelines risk fraying.
Veteran participant Scott Herman, reflecting on years of involvement, described how a friend’s experience with the shelter spurred his own commitment. He noted, “It’s important to give back to the place that supported her during her time of need.” For many in attendance, the cause was anything but abstract—these stories were stitched into the fabric of Barrie itself.
Under bright September skies, participants logged kilometre after kilometre, blisters and all, for neighbours they might never meet. In the battle against gender-based violence, the red heel has become Barrie’s unlikely symbol: a small act of discomfort wielded for real, lasting change. With each year, the spectacle grows, but so too does the urgency. As long as the need remains, Barrie’s marchers will keep striding toward hope—and no one in red walks alone.
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High heels, higher purpose: Barrie walks a mile against gender-based violence
