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Rebecca Carr is calling on the community to join her on August 23 for a Taking Back the Trails Community Walk around the Boulevard Lake loop in Thunder Bay, Ont.
While Carr has recently been in the area, the walk will be her first time on the trails since she was attacked on May 7 during a morning run around the lake.
LISTEN | Rebecca Carr: Boulevard Lake Incident:
Superior Morning8:10Rebecca Carr: Boulevard Lake Incident
A recent assault involving a runner at Boulevard Lake in Thunder Bay has sparked conversations about how to stay safe on recreational trails.Hear more from the woman who’s sharing her personal experience in hopes of helping others stay safe.
“I just feel stronger when I’m with people. So I’m ready and I’m looking forward to it. I’m looking forward to getting back to it. I just haven’t put a timeline on it. So the walk’s a perfect date,” Carr said.
Although she can’t exactly speak to her rescuers’ experiences, she said, when she kept thinking about how she was seen, in her heart, she knew that what she was or wasn’t wearing at the time had a little bit to do with it.
“At the last minute, in my head, I was like, ‘It’s cold out. I’m going to grab my purple hat.’ Otherwise I would have put on my black hat and been completely in black,” Carr said, noting how she was also wearing a loose-fitting large black sweater and black pants at the time.
After the incident, she said she remembered feeling grateful to have been rescued and couldn’t help thinking about how she had been cared for that day.
LISTEN | Rebecca Carr: Taking Back the Trails Community Walk:
Superior Morning8:46Rebecca Carr: Taking Back the Trails Community Walk
Back in May, Thunder Bay’s Rebecca Carr was attacked while out for a morning run around Boulevard Lake here in Thunder Bay. Next month, she’ll head back to the trail for the first time since that day…and she’s inviting you to join her. She tells us more about the campaign, the walk and the little purple hat that has become its symbol.
“I wanted to keep thinking about other people in the community and about feeling seen and feeling safe,” Carr said, noting how the idea to partner with Ungalli Clothing Co. to create a purple hat called ‘Taking Back the Trails’ stemmed from that goal.
She had always followed a lot of Ungalli’s work in Thunder Bay and knew they were very community-based, Carr said.
“When I thought about this community initiative, they popped up in my mind, especially as a woman-led business. I reached out to them about it and I’m not even sure at that time I had the proper thoughts or the proper words for what I was trying to say,” Carr said.
Nonetheless, after meeting with Ungalli’s co-founders, and having conversations, Carr said, they completely supported her the whole way and the initiative took off.
“They kind of became my voice through the experience”
“We’ve both spent countless hours walking around Boulevard Lake and it was impossible not to picture ourselves, our moms, sisters, our friends or one day even our daughters in that same situation. It really hit home,” said Hailey Buosi, a co-founder of Ungalli, in a media release.
Bree Hollinsworth, also a co-founder, agreed in the release that every woman should be able to go for a walk, work out, clear her mind, spend time with her family or enjoy being outside without feeling afraid.
“We’re hearing more and more stories like this in our community, so helping to organize this walk felt like a way to show Rebecca, and all women, that her community cares, that she isn’t alone and we’re standing beside her,” Hollinsworth said.
Despite having a lot of support, which Carr was extremely grateful for, she said it led her to believe the initiative was worthwhile and there was currently significant fear in the community about using recreation trails.
“That’s stuck with me because I didn’t want this experience to continue, letting people have fear in using our trails,” Carr said.
No need to register, show up and join
The Taking Back the Trails Community Walk will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
“We’re hoping that we have a lot of people in purple hats that day because I think it will just really strengthen the initiative, but there’s no pressure and ultimately we just want the support of the community,” Carr said.
Carr said they also have a donation people can give at that time and they will receive a bib to be officially part of the walk.
Proceeds from every hat sold, available for pre-sale online, will go toward supporting survivors of violence, local self-defence programming and safety workshops for women in Thunder Bay.
“We have two organizations that we’re looking at and we haven’t finalized it completely, but for sure, going towards victims of attacks,” Carr said.