A new event at the Bonnyville Friendship Centre is asking men across the Lakeland to show up, speak up and take on a bigger role in preventing gender-based violence.

The Friendship Centre is hosting Men Leading Men, a round-table gathering on March 20 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. The evening includes a catered meal, guest speakers and a facilitated conversation focused on accountability, prevention and what safer communities can look like when men take leadership seriously.

“This is your invitation,” said Lakeland Connect’s Chad Colbourne during an interview at the Friendship Centre. “Real change begins when men decide to show up.”

What gender-based violence includes

Mental health counsellor Angella McGillivray, who runs the Friendship Centre’s gender-based violence programming, said many people hear the term but do not always understand what it covers.

“It includes intimate partner violence, bullying, online harassment, coercive control, emotional abuse and harm caused simply because of someone’s gender,” McGillivray said.

She said it is not an issue that only exists somewhere else.

“It happens everywhere and it especially happens in the Lakeland,” she said.

Local survey results pushed the need for more programming

McGillivray pointed to results from an ongoing survey conducted across the Lakeland and surrounding areas that gathered responses from people of all genders and demographics.

“So far 1,391 participants took part in this survey and 1,051 said they’ve experienced gender-based violence,” she said.

She added that more than 750 respondents were youth and adolescents, describing the numbers as a serious warning sign.

“This was a really scary high number and we realized at the Friendship Centre that we need to do more and implement more gender-based violence programming,” she said.

McGillivray also said the Friendship Centre is hearing from seniors who have experienced violence and abuse that often stays hidden.

“I really want to recognize the seniors in our community too that have experienced GBV and that have shared their stories with us,” she said.

“Men experience violence too”

While gender-based violence is often discussed through the lens of women’s experiences, McGillivray said the Friendship Centre wants the conversation to be honest and inclusive.

“Gender-based violence impacts men. Men experience violence too. We want to be very clear about that,” she said. “Men also carry trauma. Men face silence, stigma and men must be part of building the solution.”

That is the core reason behind Men Leading Men.

“That’s why we want this men’s conference,” she said.

Speakers will bring perspectives from leadership, policing, faith and the courts

McGillivray said the speaker lineup is meant to reflect what the Lakeland sees on the ground, from community leadership to frontline response.

The event will include:

• MLA Scott Cyr, speaking about leadership and the role men can play in shaping healthier communities

• Sgt. Lloyd Pinsent, Bonnyville RCMP detachment commander, speaking about what police are seeing locally

• Leighton Grey, discussing what shows up in court and how domestic violence and abuse cases play out in the justice system

• Pastor Grant Lottering, bringing a perspective shaped by lived experience and international context, including what he has seen in South Africa

McGillivray said Lottering’s lens will add weight to the conversation, especially with Alberta’s numbers remaining high.

“He’s coming from a different lens,” she said, noting that South Africa has declared a state of emergency related to gender-based violence. “Him coming and speaking about this with Alberta’s numbers being so high… I think it’s going to be really impactful.”

A round-table discussion and a commitment banner

After the guest speakers, the event will move into a round-table format with men from across the Lakeland.

“We’re going to have a round-table discussion where men… will come together and talk about our past, the present and the future we can create altogether,” McGillivray said. “That’s the part I’m most excited about.”

Organizers are also planning a commitment banner following the discussion.

How to register

The event is open to men across the region, with organizers encouraging participants to bring a friend, share the invitation and be part of the conversation.

• Date: March 20

• Time: 5:30 to 8:00 p.m.

• Location: Bonnyville Friendship Centre

• To register: Call Angie at 780-826-3374

Why the Friendship Centre says this work matters

In a separate interview, Executive Director Janet Gobert said the Friendship Centre has seen firsthand where gaps exist in local supports, especially for women and children fleeing violence.

“When I first moved here and I started working at the Bonnyville Friendship Centre, I seen the clients that came in. I seen the women and children that needed a place and there was definitely a gap,” Gobert said.

Gobert said the Friendship Centre’s Women’s Transitional Home includes both shelter and transitional housing, offering a longer runway for stability after crisis.

“This is where somebody would go after they’ve put some time in over on the shelter,” she said. “Then they get to come over here and start to learn how to live again.”