Domestic violence is often the dirty, little secret of the neighbourhood. However, the Clothesline Project aims to bring a voice to the silenced. Castlegar City Hall was the location for this year's Clothesline Project, which occurred on Tuesday. The event featured hundreds of t-shirts displaying anti-violence messages hung up on clotheslines using pins.
"This is our third year doing this awareness event," said Leanna Kozak of Castlegar Community Services. "It is around Prevention of Violence Against Women week. This is to create the awareness that violence against women is still going on."
The event featured several speakers as well as information booths. M & M Meats had a barbeque at the event with owner Dave Grantham and Castlegar mayor Lawrence on hand serving up burgers for the cause. Of course, the major feature of the Clothesline Project is the t-shirts.
"The shirts have been done by the local grade seven classes," said Kozak. "We've also had some done by students from Selkirk College as well as by women that have experienced abuse - they've had a chance to do an expression of art. Other community members have come together and done art on t-shirts to speak out against domestic violence."