Did you know Pink Shirt Day started in Canada?
Also why pink? How did this colour become such a powerful symbol?
Let’s take a closer look below.
Pink Shirt Day began with a simple yet courageous act of kindness. In 2007, at a high school in Berwick, Nova Scotia, a Grade 9 student was bullied for wearing a pink shirt. Two senior students, David Shepherd and Travis Price, saw what was happening and chose to take action. They bought dozens of pink shirts and encouraged their classmates to wear them the next day in solidarity.
The following morning, the hallways were filled with pink. What started as one small response turned into a strong, visible message: bullying would not be tolerated, and no one would stand alone.
That moment transformed pink into a symbol of solidarity, courage, and compassion. Today, Pink Shirt Day is recognized across Canada, and around the world, as a day to stand up against bullying and promote kindness, inclusion, and empathy.
But Pink Shirt Day is about more than just wearing a colour.
It’s about speaking up when someone is treated unfairly.
It’s about checking in on someone who seems withdrawn.
It’s about creating safe spaces in schools, workplaces, and online communities.
Bullying doesn’t always look obvious. It can be exclusion, harmful jokes, cyberbullying, or repeated negative comments. Its impact can be deep and lasting, affecting confidence, mental health, and a person’s sense of belonging.
Like the original story shows, even a small action can make a difference. Wearing pink may seem simple, but it represents support, visibility, and collective responsibility. When one voice supports another, it grows stronger. When many voices come together, real change happens.
This Pink Shirt Day, let’s not only wear pink. Let’s live it.
Choose empathy. Choose inclusion. Choose to stand up, together.
Because sometimes, meaningful change begins with something as simple as a pink shirt.