(Saskatchewan Rivers Public School Division/Facebook)

By Nolan Kowal

Pink is the colour

P.A. schools, organizations mark Pink Shirt Day to fight bullying

Feb 28, 2024 | 1:17 PM

Schools and organizations across Prince Albert are recognizing Pink Shirt Day on Wednesday, a day that is dedicated to anti-bullying right across Canada.

Garette Tebay, superintendant of the Saskatchewan Rivers Public School Division, said her schools are looking to honour the legacy of the day.

“When we see something that shouldn’t be happening, we speak up. [We’re] inspired by the boys in Nova Scotia who originally started Pink Shirt Day and saw a child being made fun of for wearing a pink shirt and so the next day rallied classmates together to all wear pink shirts and that’s where that came from,” Tebay said.

“It’s really just inspiring that spirit of not sitting back and doing nothing, and as a bystander you have power.”

Tebay added the special day sparked a contest from her school division.

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“A couple years ago we held a contest to design a pink shirt logo for the school division, and the winner of that contest to this day still has their logo on our pink shirts,” she said. “We’re going to be using it for five years, and then we’ll run the contest again. It was a really great opportunity to showcase student artwork and to be able to involve our kids in a meaningful way.”

Meanwhile, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Prince Albert Development Coordinator Natasha Thomson said the day is particularly important for young people.

“Being kind and not bullying are so important for young people,” she said. “We understand that relationships are the things that really help young people and so we really do encourage sharing kindness with others,” said Thomson.

“We know that the things we say to people can really affect them in a positive or negative way,” she continued. “We’re always encouraging our young people and our volunteers to build each other up in a positive way.”

Pink Shirt Day originally began back in 2007 and is recognized in both Canada and New Zealand.

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nolan.kowal@pattisonmedia.com