Surrey Dyke March
Thank you to all who showed up for
August 19th, 2023. We will be going on an indefinite hiatus. Please take care of yourselves.
Help us plan our next march by donating. We are trying to stick to our values and not aligning with groups that have conflicting values- donating helps us be as independent as needed.
hOME
Surrey Dyke March organizes on the ancestral, traditional, and unceded territories of the q̓ic̓əy̓, qʼʷa:n̓ƛʼən̓, kʷikʷəƛ̓əm, qiqéyt, SEMYOME, xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, and sc̓əwaθən məsteyəxʷ First Nations, also known as Surrey BC.This is an event rooted in anti-oppression and community care, and we will not tolerate any hate or discrimination, including but not limited to TERFS/SWERFS, white supremacists, classists, those spreading anti-drug user rhetoric, etc.
Please read our Values Statement and Community Care Agreement in the About section for more information about this.
Our First March
About
We are a group of folks who saw a need to create the space for dyke representation and community in what is colonially known as Surrey, and felt we could organize to make it happen. We stand with equity seeking groups and will not tolerate oppressive or behaviour that otherwise compromises the safety of anyone at the March.Our first ever March was on August 13, 2022 in the Surrey Central area. We are looking forward to next year!We welcome feedback/input from the community, as well as folks who may wish to get involved with us! Reach out through our social media links at the bottom or email [email protected].
Values
Value StatementThe Surrey Dyke March exists on the basis of, and cannot operate without, certain values as we continually strive to be a safer space for all folks who are marginalized and/or made vulnerable.
We wish to be transparent about these, and should it come to light we have made an error or omission in this statement, our care agreement, or any of our organizing work we will rectify this as soon as possible while being accountable and transparent.We organize on the ancestral, traditional, and unceded territories of the q̓ic̓əy̓, qʼʷa:n̓ƛʼən̓, kʷikʷəƛ̓əm, qiqéyt, SEMYOME, xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, and sc̓əwaθən məsteyəxʷ First Nations.
We understand that violence against Indigenous people and their lands across Turtle Island is deliberate and ongoing in many forms, including resource extraction, MMIWG2S, overrepresentation of Indigenous folks in the criminal legal system and as victims of violence, and countless other ways. We support Land Back and the expert Indigenous voices leading this movement.We endeavour to have BIMPOC centered and celebrated in our space.
We stand with the trans community, and recognize trans people are the gender they say they are.
We believe in the right to self determination, including for those who do sex work.As it is a tool of colonialism that deliberately exploits poor and working class folks, in particular those who are Black and Indigenous, we cannot and will not stand with capitalism. We are explicitly anti-corporate pride and anti-capitalist.2.Community Care AgreementWe have established this agreement as a sort of "code of conduct" to create an understanding for all folks attending and involved with the Surrey Dyke March.We wish to create a space free from any oppressive behaviour, including fatphobia, transphobia, racism, classism, ableism, or any other behaviour making folks feel unsafe/unwelcome.We also understand folks attending may come to the march having had different access to information/learning, privilege (including class and education), etc. Mistakes may happen. As part of community care, we also hope, when possible, for learning to happen. We encourage folks attending to let organizers know if any of this behaviour happens. We also ask anyone attending be open to receiving feedback and learning, and to changing behaviour if needed.
Get Involved
Please reach out to [email protected] for inquiries about how you can help.
Donate
We are seeking funding to allow us to hold this much-needed space this year. As we are a small team, these funds will allow us to buy supplies for signage and posters and some snacks and water to fuel our organizers and attendees the day of. We are attempting to make our dyke march safer for all marginalized groups and this means including as many folks as we can in the organizing process. For this reason, our funding will also provide honoraria to our 2SQTBIPOC organizers/contributors to compensate for their labour and the additional risk they take on being involved in the march.We will also be using funding to compensate the person(s) providing an Indigenous welcome and land honouring, as well as those providing ASL interpretation and to also fund a van rental to provide mobility from the start to end of the march for those needing it.Thank you so much for considering contributing to us! If you feel comfortable, every share counts to helping us reach our goal - we would so appreciate you sharing with your networks, however feels best for you.
News
Contact Us
We want to recognize that is this is a public event we cannot control if photos are taken of you and who has those photos/ views them. We wish you safety and informed consent in this. If a photo of you has been taken at the march and put up on one of our socials which you dislike please contact us to have it removed.
Access-ibility
(2023) (The Surrey Dyke March is a political action, not a parade, and as such takes place without permits or sponsors.)Please contact us by email [email protected] or DM on our socials if you see accessibility needs not being met and we will make every effort to make it work.We will have a virtual option available this year! Please stay tuned for details!In person: Meet at 1pm @ 104 Ave entrance to city hall, then march to Holland ParkGETTING THEREBy transit: skytrain or bus to Surrey Central Station
Driving: there are multiple parking lots around Surrey City Hall, we are unsure about street parking. Free 2 hour parking is located in the lot where the old Safeway building and small Safeway pharmacy are.WHERE TO MEETWe will be gathering at the entrance to Surrey City Hall that faces 104 Ave
We will invite any folks wishing to hold the banner, as well as those with mobility aids or with reduced speeds, to join us at the front.
We will also invite folks who would like someone to walk with them and folks who can volunteer to walk alongside someone to meet at the front of the march as well and find a buddy as necessarySUPPLIES AVAILABLE(Will be limited amount at beginning such as Earplugs and water, and everything will be available at the end of the march, along with being with the accessibility/supplies team throughout)Food/Drinks (all food peanut free, and gluten free and vegan options will be available. Soft food options available)
Bottled water
Gatorade (with sugar and not)
Juice boxes
Granola bars
Fresh fruit
COVID
Masks (variety of sizes)
Hand sanitizer
COVID test kits
Harm reduction supplies
Safer sex (internal and external condoms, dental dams, lube
Safer substance use
Safer HRT kits (subcutaneous and intramuscular)
Naloxone kits
Fentanyl and benzodiazepine testing strips
HIV self test kits
Other supplies
Unscented sunscreen
Earplugs
Menstrual products** First Aid Kit and trained administrator on siteSOUND/COMMUNICATION(beginning to end of event)
2 ASL interpreters available for beginning and end of march (not while marching)
Use of speaker and mic, and megaphone while marchingMarch routeWe have funds to arrange an accessible taxi as needed from Civic Plaza to Holland Park.The route is about 1km in length and we will be marching on the street for the duration of the march. We will leave our starting point and begin heading west on 104 until it instersects with University Drive, where we will cross the street and head south. We will remain in the far right lane of University Drive until we reach Holland Park. Volunteer marshals will be at the front, back, and left side of the marchers to ensure that marchers stay within the right-hand lane and to control traffic. The first half of the route has a slight incline and the second half is flat. The pavement is generally flat with the exception of dips in areas where repairs have been done previously.
During the March we will have a designated person with a megaphone to lead chants. Earplugs will be available prior to the March for those who require them.
We will end at Holland Park and settle in to rest. There are gendered washrooms on the north side of the park that are not wheelchair accessible. We will be putting up all-genders welcome signs on the doors to these. Towards the south end of the park is a single accessible outhouse-style washroom. The mall across the street also has washrooms. (**please approach anyone with a hi vis vest if you'd like someone to accompany you for safety or otherwise)COVID SAFER PRACTICESWe are still in a pandemic, and wish to bring community together while minimizing any potential spread and putting vulnerable community members at risk. Therefore:The entire event from start to finish will be outdoors and allows for physical distancing
We will have plenty of masks available in multiple sizes, as well as multiple stations of sanitizer on site