Victor Walk: Speaking up is 1st spark in extinguishing shame

For the second time, Prince George residents marched through the streets of downtown to raise awareness of child abuse.

Area residents particpated in the sister walk of NHL Alumnus Theo Fleury’s National Victor Walk, which was held in Calgary today (Saturday).

Local walk coordinator, Brett McLachlan, felt inspired to get involved after hearing Fleury speak about his experience at a trauma conference here in town back in 2016.

“It was really inspirational. He just talked about the walk and some of his life experiences,” McLachlan told MyPGNow. “Then after that, I actually watched the Victor Walk documentary, and I just found it extremely inspirational so I decided to do this here in Prince George.”

Lynnelle Halikowski, Executive Director at the Prince George Sexual Assault Centre, told MyPGNow that from last year’s inaugural walk to this year’s the event has grown in attendance.

“I think the growth shows that people are becoming more comfortable speaking up about childhood sexual abuse. I think for men, in particular, it’s difficult because of stigma and social rules about men. That’s why it’s critical as a community that we come together and raise our voices together collectively and speak up.”

McLachlan’s a survivor of childhood abuse and says the message behind the walk resonated with him, ultimately leading to the Prince George resident to organize and coordinate last year’s Victor Walk.

“It’s just something people generally don’t want to talk about, so giving it some exposure gives people some hope,” said McLachlan, who said putting on such an event is therapeutic for himself. “I always tell my wife, it was like releasing a breath that I had held for 40 years. When you speak publicly to people, you realize how supportive people actually are. People aren’t giving you a hard time about it obviously, but I think as a victim, you feel very alone and scared.”

With one in two girls and one in three boys experiencing an unwanted traumatic even before they are 18 years of age, it has become clear that Canadians must rally together to take a stand against childhood trauma.

People participating gathered outside of the Prince George Courthouse before embarking on a kilometre long march through the downtown area.

“It’s just to show you that you’re not alone,” said McLachlan. “This has happened to a lot more people than we realize.”

He said they’d like that to end, but first and foremost, raising the awareness for the survivors now is a way to be able to cope with their experience while also understanding that there is support here in Prince George.

“It happens in isolation, so you grow up thinking it’s just you and that there’s something wrong with you, and you carry the shame,” said Halikowski. “So when you hear someone else speaking up about their story and hear their voice, you go ‘oh, it’s not just me’. There is support, there is help. It’s sort of the first spark in extinguishing the shame that goes with being a survivor of childhood sexual abuse.”

Halikowski said it’s important that residents of Prince George rally together when it comes to issues such as this, as a way to prove there is support end bring to an end the stigma.