By David P. Ball
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The annual vigil, march and ceremonies to honour missing and murdered women in the Downtown Eastside (DTES) is holding its 29th event on Sunday, and the pandemic has not deterred family and friends of the missing from remembering their loved ones.

But this year, the health and safety of a particularly vulnerable community is top of mind for organizers. The DTES remains hardest-hit by COVID-19 cases in the entire city, with recent data showing it has double the rate of cases for its population than the city's west side.

"All COVID-19 protocols are in effect," the event's organizing committee said. "Social distancing and masks are required.

"The women’s memorial march continues to honour the lives of missing and murdered women and all women’s lives lost in the Downtown Eastside," they added.

And for those unable to attend at noon on Sunday, Feb. 14, or who are concerned about health conditions, the event will be livestreamed on Facebook.

First held in 1992, the march has grown over the years into a massive show of support and prayer for missing and murdered women, a disproportionate number of whom are Indigenous.

And this year's march coincides with a neighbourhood-wide search with posters in their hundreds seeking information about the whereabouts of Mariya-Joann Gloria Nielson, age 25, also known as "Baby Teeth," who was last seen with her brown dog near the offices of the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users, where she had extensive community connections.

Her friend, (Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users) VANDU President Samona Marsh, told The Pulse on CFRO that any information is welcome as she searches for her friend and hopes she turns up soon, and that the search involves hundreds of posters, social media posts, and searches of Mariya's known places in the community.