On February 28, wear something pink to symbolize that we as a society will not tolerate bullying anywhere. Wear a pink shirt, hat, scarf, glasses – or whatever! – while at school, work, or wherever you are.

The City of Port Coquitlam will once again take a stand against bullying by taking part in Stop Bullying Day on February 28, 2018. This is the City’s eleventh year participating in the national anti-bullying campaign that started in 2007 after two boys in Nova Scotia rallied around another student who was bullied for wearing a pink polo shirt.

The city’s Youth Services is again coordinating various anti-bullying activities on Feb. 28, and is supporting the I Am Someone Society to End Bullying, TELUS and BC 211 to promote BC’s first professional youth texting support line. This anonymous texting help line is available to youth from parts of Sunshine Coast and much of the lower mainland seven days a week from 3-11 pm and can be accessed by texting 211 from your cell phone. Additional information and resources are available at www.iamsomeone.ca.

Activities on February 28

The City’s Youth Services Division is coordinating the Kindness Counts Breakfast on February 28 from 7:30-10:30 am at the Hyde Away Youth Centre in partnership with I Am Someone Society and BC 211. Youth from local middle and secondary schools will gather for a pink-themed event including breakfast snacks, educational activities on how to deal with bullying led by the Poco Youth Crew, the local volunteer youth group. Food and beverage items are donated by the Port Coquitlam Safeway store and the Prairie Avenue Starbucks. The event is free. Register at experienceit.ca using the bar code 26005.

• Port Coquitlam City Council will wear pink and proclaim February 28 as Stop Bullying Day at the February 27 Council meeting. Members from the Poco Youth Crew will accept the proclamation, and speak about some of the volunteer work in the community.
• City Hall will be lit up Pink on February  27 and 28.
• Anti-bullying information and resources posted online and resource boards at the Hyde Away and Offside Youth Centres.

What is bullying?

Bullying is defined as a power relationship carried on by one individual or group towards another person, and can include rumours, threats and hurtful words, in person or online, in addition to physical violence.

Resources

The annual Pink Shirt Day campaign, sponsored by CKNW, raises awareness about bullying and provides tools to help respond to and eradicate bullying.

• How to spot a bully and what to do
• Learn about Pink Shirt Day and other anti-bullying tools and information
• Access bc211, a free, confidential, multilingual texting and call in service that provides support to those in need, and connects people to community, social and government services.

More information

For more information about the Youth Services events, visit pocoyouth.com or contact the Youth Services Coordinator at 604.927.7981.