Melissa Andersson, from the Red Door Shelter; Kiki Souriol-Roode, Chair of the Royal Le Page Shelter Foundation; Jennifer Burns of Nellie’s shelter; and Chris Dunlop from Royal LePage Estate Realty with the donation cheque of $58,000 from the Night Light Walk in the Beach last Thursday. Fundraising is continuing in support of the two local shelters and donations can still be made on the Night Light Walk website. Photo by Matthew Stephens.

By MATTHEW STEPHENS

As the sun set on a brisk fall evening last week, community members gathered at Kew Gardens in anticipation of lighting up the streets for the second annual Royal LePage Shelter Foundation’s Night Light Walk through the Beach.

The second annual event helped to raise funds for East Toronto shelters Red Door Family Shelter and Nellie’s, both of which support women and families fleeing intimate partner violence. The walk was presented by Royal LePage Estate Realty in the Beach.

“We thank you for coming together to address this issue in our community, and that is violence against women and children perpetrated by their partners,” said Owner and Broker of Record of Royal LePage Estate Realty Chris Dunlop during his opening speech before the walk started.

“We are a light that brings hope to the issue. Red Door and Nellie’s are there in our communities to support women and children escaping violence, and we’re very proud as a company to be able to help fund their activities and their benefits.”

Participants in the Thursday, Oct. 23, event embarked on a three-kilometre walk throughout Beach streets and along the Boardwalk wearing red hats and flashing red lights to support mothers and children seeking refuge from domestic violence.

Participants set off from Kew Gardens park on Queen Street East at the start of last Thursday’s Night Light Walk. Photo by Matthew Stephens.

The Royal LePage Shelter Foundation’s Night Light Walk first began three years ago, and now takes place in 12 Canadian cities.

Last year’s Night Light Walk contributed another $315,000 to the more than $52 million raised since Royal LePage Shelter Foundation’s inception in 1998. Royal LePage supports more than 200 local women’s transitional shelters across Canada, as well as several national partner organizations.

President and Chair of Red Door Family Shelter Marissa Andersson emphasized the challenges people face when dealing with domestic abuse – and how events such as Night Light Walk help victims access the support needed to escape abuse and domestic violence.

“At the Red Door Family Shelter, we see the courage that it takes to leave abuse. On average, it takes someone seven attempts to leave an abusive situation,” said Andersson during her opening speech before the walk.

“Many women will live with their abuser for three years, making those seven attempts before they are free…When you’re walking tonight, and you’re thinking ‘Who am I helping? What difference am I making?’ Trust us that you are.”

According to Andersson, Red Door Family Shelter provided approximately 900 people with access to shelter and programming last year – 60 per cent of which were children.

Walkers stop at the heart display of lights memorial in front of the Leuty Lifeguard Station during Thursday’s Night Light Walk. Photo by Matthew Stephens.

For those who lost their lives to domestic violence last year, Night Light Walk organizers put together a heart-shaped purple light display in the sand just north of the Leuty Lifeguard Station to honour their memory.

“At the end of the walk or near the end of the walk, if you look to the left along the Boardwalk, you will see a purple heart. And that purple heart represents women that have lost their lives in the past year to domestic violence,” said Dunlop.

He mentioned that this year’s light display would include a special light at the heart’s centre to honour the passing of Savannah Kulla, a 29-year-old mother who was shot dead in a Brampton parking lot by her former partner last week.

“At the centre of that heart is a new light for Savannah, who tragically lost her life earlier this week in a moment that really highlights the importance of the work that we’re doing,” said Dunlop.

The single light shining inside the purple heart of lights in front of the Leuty Lifeguard Station was set up in memory of Savannah Kulla, a 29-year-old mother shot and killed by her former partner last week. Photo: Alan Shackleton.

Beaches-East York Councillor Brad Bradford, who was also in attendance at Thursday’s walk, stressed the important work Royal LePage and local shelters are doing to support women and children who have escaped domestic violence.

“Intimate partner violence is always a crisis in the moment, the moments leading up, and of course, in the moments afterwards,” said Bradford during his opening speech before the walk began.

“It’s so important that women and partners have access to safe spaces to go to afterwards.”

Funds are continuing to be collected for the Night Light Walk in support of the local shelters, and donations can be made by going to https://raceroster.com/events/2025/105772/royal-lepage-shelter-foundation-night-light-walk-toronto-2025/fundraising-organization/75715#event-description

For more information about the Red Door Family shelter, head to https://www.reddoorshelter.ca/

For more information about Nellie’s, head to https://nellies.org/

If you or someone you know is or has experienced domestic violence and require immediate assistance, head to Ontario’s helpline hub or visit the Government of Canada website.