Last weekend saw a number of public gatherings take place, all to show solidarity with the families of the murdered and missing women of British Columbia, with special attention focused on those that have been murdered or disappeared along the Highway 16 corridor .
During the course of the events of Sunday, there was a renewal of the push for a full inquiry into those murders and disappearances.
Vancouver's event was the 19th annual march, a telling number indicating the lack of awareness and action over the years into the now far too numerous cases that require attention.
With little progress to report on any of the ongoing investigations, the need for additional resources is apparent. The step of providing for an inquiry might help to provide those resources and perhaps offer a secondary path towards finding answers to go along with those police investigations that continue to this day.
Though the prospect of a public inquiry into the disappearances and murders isn't finding overwhelming acceptance by the RCMP, who suggest that it might interfere in their ongoing efforts of investigation.
The push for an inquiry is also developing political themes, with the Federal Liberals calling for a national inquiry into the concerns, a move that Conservative MP Dick Harris, who represents Cariboo-Prince George seems to suggest is more about politics and not solving cases.
The fact that the Liberals were in power for much of the years that have passed during the cases of murder and disappearance may lend some credence to his claim, but in the end what is important is to find answers to these cases and not try to score political points.
If an inquiry indeed can offer some assistance, help provide comfort to those families that have suffered the most, then move the process forward, find a way to accommodate the RCMP investigations without compromising them, but offer up some hope that someone indeed does care and wants to find answers.
After all these years, some kind of forward movement on this issue is required, to just sit back and let more time go by seems to be almost criminal in itself.
Vancouver Province-- 4,000 march for missing women
Toronto Star-- Giving a voice to Vancouver's missing women
Victoria Times Colonist-- Victoria Stolen Sisters march remembers missing women
Opinion 250-- Rally Renews Call For Hwy Of Tears Inquiry
Regina Leader Post-- Saskatoon art show focuses on Canada's missing aboriginal women
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