Media releases

• Brock marks REDress Day with opportunities for reflection, remembrance

  Monday, February 09, 2026 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE — February 9, 2026 — R0015

  Empty red dresses hung across Brock University’s campuses this week will act as a stark visual reminder of the thousands of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and Two-Spirit people (MMIWG2S+) and the enduring impact still felt in their communities. 

  The dresses are on display until Wednesday, Feb. 18 at Brock’s St. Catharines and Burlington campuses and the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts downtown as well as at Niagara College’s campuses.

  The display is part of a week of community events planned in observance of REDress Day, also known as the REDress Project. 

  Started by Métis artist Jaime Black at the University of Winnipeg, the initiative honours the thousands of Indigenous women, girls and Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, trans, bisexual, queer, questioning, intersex and asexual (2SLGTBQQIA+) people lost to colonial violence. 

  It’s frequently observed around Feb. 14 to align with the annual Women’s Memorial March.

  “This day is significant as it provides a safe and supportive space for participants to learn, reflect and connect,” says Evelyn Dilworth (BA ’24, BEd ’24), Event Co-ordinator at Hadiya’dagénhahs First Nations, Métis and Inuit Student Centre, which is organizing this year’s events. “MMIWG2S+ is an ongoing tragedy affecting our communities and it is up to everyone, not just Indigenous women, to help change these devastating statistics for future generations.” 

  Everyone in the Brock and broader communities is invited to come together for a day of remembrance and unity on Friday, Feb. 13 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Brock’s Pond Inlet. Hosted by Hadiya’dagénhahs in partnership with Niagara College, the event will include a Jingle Dress demonstration and song, group discussions, hands-on workshops and a complimentary lunch.

  In the morning, attendees will engage in small group discussions led by community members to learn more about the significance of the day, the impact that still reverberates through Indigenous communities and ways to meaningfully engage in allyship. Workshops will take place in the afternoon and include crocheting, bracelet making and beading activities.

  A live community art project taking place that day will also provide an opportunity to participate in a collaborative, visual call for justice and solidarity.

  Brock’s Spirit Bear Entiohahathé’te will join the day in observance of the upcoming Have a Heart Day on Saturday, Feb. 14. Organized by the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society, it advocates for First Nations children’s rights, safety and access to equitable, culturally based services.

  Advanced registration for the REDress Day event and the individual workshops is required through University Tickets.

  Hadiya’dagénhahs is also hosting a Beaded REDress Pin Workshop on Thursday, Feb. 12 from noon to 1:30 p.m. at Brock’s Burlington Campus in BBC 284. The free workshop will teach basic beading techniques, with participants creating a pin to wear on REDress Day as a visible sign of support. No prior beading experience is required, and all materials will be provided.

  Assistant Professor Lyn Trudeau in Brock’s Centre for Women’s and Gender Studies will be a featured speaker at a gathering on Wednesday, Feb. 11 from noon to 3 p.m. in CRN 207.  

  Through reflections and group activities, the event will create a respectful space to acknowledge the lives lost, the ongoing violence faced by Indigenous communities and the systemic failures that continue to enable the crisis. It is open to everyone, but registration is required.

   For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

  *Sarah Ackles, Communications Specialist, Brock University [email protected] or 289-241-5483

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  Categories: Media releases

• Beyond Heated Rivalry: Brock researcher examines queer sport organizations as playbooks for social change

  Thursday, February 05, 2026 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE — February 5, 2026 — R0014

  Heated Rivalry’s celebration of queer joy and representation quickly turned the Canadian streaming show into a global sensation, spurring broader conversations about the intersections of identity and inclusion within hockey culture.  

  In his new research, Brock University Associate Professor of Sport Management Kyle Rich is looking at equity-seeking sport organizations in Canada for lessons on making sport environments safer and more welcoming for 2SLGBTQIA+ athletes.

  Supported by a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Insight Development Grant, which is funded by the Government of Canada, the two-year project seeks to understand how organizers can leverage sport as a catalyst to drive social change within the sports themselves and across wider society.  

  “It is important to understand how equity-owed sport groups can be better supported within our sport system as well as how their work might be leveraged for change both in sport cultures and the broader communities in which the organizations are working,” Rich says. 

  His research will be centred on the Toronto Gay Hockey Association (TGHA), a not-for-profit community sport organization founded in 1994 that offers a place for 2SLGBTQIA+ athletes and allies to play hockey free from harassment or discrimination.  

  While the TGHA is the largest association of its kind in the world, the number and prominence of similar organizations are on the rise.

  “Historically, queer sport organizations have operated on the margins of the sport system, but recently, some high-profile events have really put them in the spotlight,” Rich says.
  

  The project will involve two simultaneous studies. 

  The first involves examining the development of the TGHA over the past 30 years and the experiences of organizers. 

  The second study will look at how organizers engage in relational solidarity and inclusion work with other 2SLGBTQIA+-focused sport organizations in Toronto and other Canadian cities. 

  The research team will collect data through archival research as well as interviews and participant observations at meetings, sport and social activities, and formal events. 

  Using the information collected, Rich aims to develop a framework for understanding the agency and institutional work of Community Sport Organizations (CSO) in Canada.  

  The research, he says, will also generate analysis that will be useful for provincial and territorial ministries responsible for sport and recreation, municipal governments that support and engage CSOs, and policy-makers, particularly those at Sport Canada. 

  “There are community-level organizations offering safe spaces to play and working with other organizations to move the needle on the culture of sport more broadly, and I think we need to highlight them and show what they’re doing as positive examples,” Rich says. “We’ve also seen that national sport organizations can put forward beneficial policies or frameworks which are then undercut by provincial governments, so it’s critical for there to be a consolidated effort to do this together if we want to see meaningful change across all levels of sport.” 

  St. Catharines Member of Parliament Chris Bittle says “sport plays a vital role in strengthening communities and supporting overall well-being, creating opportunities for connection while helping people stay active and healthy.” 

  “However, too many individuals still feel excluded, and sports organizations have more work to do to ensure participation is truly open to everyone,” he says. “This new research will help policy-makers build sport and recreation environments, from grassroots programs to high-performance competition that are more welcoming, accessible and inclusive for all Canadians.” 

  
  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

  *Sarah Ackles, Communications Specialist, Brock University [email protected] or 289-241-5483

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  Categories: Media releases