Royal LePage® professionals understand that a house is only a home if the people who live there feel safe. That’s why, more than 25 years ago, we unanimously agreed that helping women and children find safety from intimate partner violence should be where we channeled our big hearts and charitable efforts. In addition to granting millions of dollars to shelters and transition houses in communities across Canada, the Royal LePage® Shelter Foundation™ also funds organizations helping to prevent domestic violence, as well as those addressing emerging needs in the Violence Against Women sector. This series shares how your donations are being put to work in support of these vital priorities.
May 16 is Moose Hide Campaign Day!
5 million and counting. That’s the number of pins that have been gifted by the Moose Hide Campaign to spark important conversations about gender-based violence in Canada. Pinning this small square of moose hide* or animal-free fabric on your lapel signifies a commitment to honouring, respecting and protecting the women and children in your life and working together to end violence against women and children and all those along the gender continuum.
The Moose Hide Campaign began as a BC-born Indigenous-led grassroots movement to engage men and boys in ending violence towards women and children. It has since grown into a nationwide movement of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians, First Nations, governments, schools, colleges/universities, police forces and many other organizations – all committed to taking action to end this violence.
Strongly associated with gentleness, warmth, comfort, hope, and love, moose hide has been used for ceremonial purposes and clothing for generations. The use of the moose hide for this campaign honours this sacred relationship and keeps the traditional protocols and teachings of Indigenous Elders alive.
Standing in solidarity with our country’s need to address truth, reconciliation and gender-based violence, the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation has proudly donated $5,000 to the Moose Hide Campaign. This gift will help fund moose hide pin production and distribution, as well as workshops that take K-12 students and teachers on a learning journey towards a more just society for women and children.
Moose Hide pins are provided as a free gift of medicine — they are not sold for any amount of money. Recipients are encouraged to share photos of themselves wearing their pin proudly on social media, gifting a pin to those who ask about it, and donating towards the campaign.
To join the Moose Hide Campaign movement, please visit moosehidecampaign.ca.
To learn more about the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation, please visit royallepage.ca/shelter.
In the photo above, proudly wearing their Moose Hide pins in support of ending gender-based violence are members of the Royal LePage Services Advisory Council.
Left side, clockwise from top left:
Stephan Villeneuve, Royal LePage® Realty Team, Sudbury, ON
Mark Rashotte, Royal LePage® ProAlliance Realty, Belleville, ON
Clinton Miller, Royal LePage® Parksville-Qualicum Beach Realty, Parksville, BC
Tom Shearer, Royal LePage® Noralta Real Estate, Edmonton, AB
Right side, clockwise from top left:
Angela Asadoorian, Royal LePage® Crown Realty Services, Cambridge, ON
Lindsay Percy, Royal LePage® First Contact Realty, Barrie, ON
Raymond Yenkana, Royal LePage® Little Oak Realty, Abbotsford, BC
*All moose hide squares come from traditional hunters who hunt moose for food and ceremonial purposes, or from animals who have died in road accidents. No animals are hunted specifically to supply hides for the Moose Hide Campaign. The patches are produced with care by Indigenous women who are deeply committed to the protection of women and children and who value the living origins of the patches. Making the patches provides a valuable source of income for the women involved.
Royal LePage Shelter Foundation Charitable Registration Number: 882531304 RR0001
