In hopes of cultivating a culture of respect, the Central Alberta Sexual Assault Support Centre will be spreading that very respect message to the audience at the Westerner Day's parade on Wednesday.
 
They've launched a social media campaign in honour of Canada's 150th birthday, looking for you to share what you respect, and they'll be using some of those messages as part of their parade entry.
 
Centre Executive Director Patricia Arango says they need to find new, positive ways to approach a growing problem.

“Now we have more of cases, the victims are being sexually assaulted inside the home. So the ‘stranger danger’ is not a culture anymore, it is not working. So now let’s work in respect, let’s lead with respect, let’s think that if we respect each other, if we respect ourselves, we can help this community to lead in a healthy way and we don’t have so many victims every year”.

Arango says they need more people to lead a life of respect to put a stop to an ever increasing demand on their services.

“Now we have waiting lists for kids and I cannot make any difference between boys and girls, both are the same, and 93% of this is happening inside the home. I can say we have an average of 350 clients a year, 49% are kids which is very, very high. One victim a day is too high for us”.

The Central Alberta Sexual Assault Support Centre offers counselling, therapy, family intervention, sexual assault response team, and text and web services for sexual assault victims.

They're asking you to get on board with their respect campaign by using the #150waysiRespect, to share what you respect in the community, whether it is your family, kids, culture, or beliefs for example.