Drummers lead a march through Fredericton on Saturday as part of a vigil to honour Hilary Bonnell. (Matt Pearn/CBC)About 150 people turned out Saturday for a candlelight vigil in Fredericton to honour the memory of Hilary Bonnell.
The 16-year-old from Esgenoopetitj First Nation in northeastern New Brunswick was buried on Thursday.
Her body was found in a remote wooded area last week, more than two months after she went missing.
Drummers from Esgenoopetitj led a chain of people carrying candles along Fredericton's streets, from the Exhibition Grounds on Sythe Street, to city hall Saturday, starting about 5:30 p.m. AT.
Anna Galvin, a student at St. Thomas University, was among the group of men and women, both aboriginal and non-aboriginal, who participated.
She said she felt a connection with Hilary's story and wanted to show the community some support.
'When we found out that [Hilary] had died, the shock just sort of tore through First Nations communities.'—Vigil participant Mariann Morgan
"It's close to home because I've been in Fredericton for five years and I've met people who knew Hilary, knew Hilary's family, and so it did feel close to home," said Galvin.
"You think of a small community like that and suffering such a huge loss, and you see the numbers across Canada and how it's such a visible pattern across Canada for aboriginal women and aboriginal communities to… have these situations of violence."
Galvin said more needs to be done to keep First Nations women safe and such vigils, with speakers talking about violence against women, serve as a good reminder.
Hilary Bonnell was last seen in early September. A suspect in her death is in custody. (RCMP)Mariann Morgan of Kingsclear First Nation, who brought her 11-year-old daughter, said it's also a reminder that young people need to be careful.
"When we found out that [Hilary] had died, the shock just sort of tore through First Nations communities," said Morgan.
"I would like people to know that this is not a thing that should ever happen again. And I find that if enough people show enough support, that maybe there will be an awareness that you can't do this to people, you can't hurt them."
Hilary was last seen on Sept. 5 walking along Highway 11 in Esgenoopetitj, commonly known as Burnt Church.
On Nov. 13, RCMP announced they had found her remains in a wooded area in the former military firing range in Tracadie-Sheila.
No cause of death has been announced but police have a suspect in custody and have said charges are imminent.
