Lanterns, cake, sparklers: People invited to join in ‘celebration of life’ for Kiara Agnew

DAWSON CREEK, B.C. — The family of a Dawson Creek woman who was killed in Mexico in 2023 is celebrating her life this week and inviting others to join in their own way. 

According to a Facebook post uploaded to the Justice for Kiara: Trevor Agnew page, the family of Kiara Agnew, a resident of Dawson Creek who was killed in Mexico, will be celebrating what would have been her 27th birthday on March 11th. 

“What an honour it would have been to watch you grow old, to eventually one day see you with grey hair and deep laugh lines that told a million stories filled with adventure, heartache, joy and unconditional love,” the post read. 

Kiara was killed while on a vacation with her boyfriend – Ryan Friesen – who was initially acquitted of femicide but later convicted after the decision was overturned.   

Naomi Agnew, Kiara’s stepmother, told Energeticcity.ca is asking anybody who wants to take part in the celebration to either set off a lantern or have a piece of cake. 

“We’ve just asked people to take the pictures of how they choose to honour Kiara and share them with us on our Facebook page, so that we can see how other people, friends, family and even some people that didn’t know her but have been touched by her story, choose to remember her on her special day,” she said. 

Naomi said that every year they try to do something to remember Kiara on her birthday. 

“We are going to have biodegradable lanterns to release that night and the family’s going out for supper at one of her favourite restaurants,” she added. “Other groups of people and family members in New Brunswick are going to get together and [light] sparklers…to remember her.” 

On the Justice for Kiara Facebook page, people are contemplating a meet-up to light sparklers more than 5,000 kilometres away in Saint John, New Brunswick on March 11th. 

The family, she said, “tries to get together, share stories and remember her…in the way that she was.”

Naomi added: “We appreciate anyone that takes the time to remember Kiara and to share it with us.

“If they want to share a story they remember about Kiara…we always like to hear how people remember her, what they remember and what made her special to them.” 

Several protests were held in multiple places, including Fort St. John and Dawson Creek, last month to protest Friesen’s freedom after he was found guilty of femicide. 

In addition to this, Tanya Agnew, Kiara’s aunt, has launched a petition to ‘enforce’ the guilty conviction, which has received 4,612 signatures as of March 10th.

To sign the petition, click here.