In recognition of Transgender Day of Remembrance, the City of Fernie will raise the Transgender flag at Fernie City Hall on Friday, November 20 at 8:15 am.

Mayor Qualizza will read a proclamation prior to the flag will being raised. If you are interested in attending this important event please contact Courtney and provide your name via email to info@ferniepride.ca as space is very limited.

Transgender Day of Remembrance was started in 1999 by transgender advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith as a vigil to honor the memory of Rita Hester, a transgender woman who was killed in 1998. The annual event commemorates the transgender people lost to violence since Rita Hester’s death.In 2020, to date, there have been at least 350 transgender or gender non-conforming people murdered globally, the majority of which were Black and Latinx transgender women. Too often these deaths go unreported — or misreported — so we say at least 350 people but likely more. These victims are loving partners, parents, family members, friends, and community members. They worked, went to school, and attended church. They were real people — people who did not deserve to have their lives taken from them.