Ignite:To catch fire. To Erupt. To Wake. To Spark.

The Ignite Monument was built as a memorial to honour those affected by gender-based violence in Canada and to raise awareness for the cause.

It was started by Avery Saunters and Kirsten Nicholson after a fellow Nipissing University student, Lindsay Wilson, was murdered by her ex-boyfriend.

This memorial is inclusive of all women across Canada who have been affected by violence and continue to be affected by violence today. We want to recognize that these women are not just numbers in a statistic, but people in our homes and our communities. 

This memorial is
for our mothers, our daughters, our sisters and our friends
for the women we have lost and for the courage of the survivors
for the missing and murdered Indigenous women.
This memorial honours every single woman who has ever experienced violence in their lifetime.

When the project began Avery and Kirsten shared these words:

“What started out, as an idea has become a reality. After a realization that no nation-wide memorial existed in Canada to honour all murdered and missing women and survivors of violence, we decided that needed to change. 

We ignite to re-spark this movement to end all violence against women. We ignite to raise awareness, to empower, and to make change. We ignite to give a voice to the stories that went unwritten and the stories that go untold. We ignite to raise hope."

When the project began
Avery and Kirsten shared these words:

Visit the Monument

The Ignite monument is located in a quiet place by the water.
You can visit the site any time.
Leave flowers if you wish.
 

The Ignite monument is on Bracebridge Bay.  Take Wharf Road down the hill from the silver bridge, and the monument is adjacent to the beach, facing the river. 

A Look Back at the Project

Thank you to our partners on the Ignite Project