OLDS — Feb. 24 has been proclaimed Pink Shirt Day in Olds.
On that day, residents are encouraged to wear pink clothing as a way to show zero tolerance for bullying in any setting – work, school or play, among children or adults.
In previous years, town staff and schools have led the way by wearing pink T-shirts. That’s expected to happen again.
But the town is going one step further this year. Even its peace officers will be wearing pink in support of the initiative.
Chief administrative officer Michael Merritt told council that Olds municipal enforcement officers are the first in the province to get permission to wear pink.
“I’m sure they’ll be out in force on the day itself,” Merritt said.
Mayor Michael Muzychka said he’d seen their pink uniforms hanging the doors of their offices.
"(I) noticed that they’re there and all ready to go, all badged up and decaled up, so that’ll be good to see them in their official pink uniforms,” Muzychka said.
Pink Shirt Day began in 2007 when two high school students saw another student being bullied for wearing a pink shirt.
The next day, two students showed up at school wearing pink and handed out pink shirts to as many of their peers as they could.
When he got to school, the bullied youth was overwhelmed by that support and the message that bullying would not be tolerated.
Since that time, Pink Shirt Day has grown into “an international phenomenon,” community services director Doug Wagstaff said.
“It’s to ensure that kindness is at the forefront in our interactions, in our society,” Wagstaff said. “It’s an awareness day to help bring forward that how we treat each other has meaning and importance.”
In 2018, Olds council decided that from that year on, Pink Shirt Day would be held every year in the community.
“I support this initiative,” Coun. Mitch Thomson said. “We do need to be mindful of others.”
Muzychka agreed, saying, “It’s something that is very, very important to the wellbeing of our community, I feel I’ve been very much in support of this since we’ve taken it on.”
Councillors Mary Anne Overwater and Mary Jane Harper suggested that town staff work with schools to promote Pink Shirt Day and advertise it in various ways.
Wagstaff said he’d pass that message on.
In previous years, town staff have posed for a photo wearing their pink shirts.
Merritt said that might be a challenge this year, due to COVID restrictions. He suggested they may have to pose via a Zoom meeting and perhaps have town councillors join them.
Coun. Heather Ryan had another idea.
“Given the COVID and the inability to get whole groups of together it would be nice just to get our mascot (Oliver Owl) in a pink shirt,” she said.
“Oliver would look good," she said with a light laugh.
