Silent vigil held for femicide victims, including Fort St. John woman

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Activists have paid tribute to 15 women who were killed in B.C. this year, including a 24-year-old from Fort St. John. 

Emily Ogden’s body was discovered in Dawson Creek on April 14th, after she had been reported missing out of Fort St. John on March 29th.

The death is being treated as a homicide, with a ‘suspicious death’ investigation launched by the E Division Major Crime Section of the RCMP.

Organized by Vancouver Rape Relief and Women’s Shelter, the silent vigil was held in front of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in Victoria on November 25th, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

Participants held signs with women’s names, ages and the date of their deaths. One of the signs was dedicated to Ogden. 

The shelter, which is the longest-standing rape crisis centre in Canada, is calling for an inquest for each femicide case.

“Inquests will provide important information on systemic gaps and failures and offer insight on changes needed to protect and prevent future victims,” said Vancouver Rape Relief’s spokeswoman Hilla Kerner.

BC RCMP officers would like to hear from anyone who has information about Ogden’s death, including if they saw or heard from her from the time she was reported missing to the discovery of her body.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact the Dawson Creek RCMP at 250-784-3700.