More than 100 people take part in Edmonton Victor Walk

EDMONTON – More than 100 supporters walked 3.4 km from Edmonton City Hall to the Alberta Legislature Building on Thursday as part of Theo Fleury’s “Victor Movement.”

Theo Fleury will be finishing his “Victor Walk” in Ottawa Thursday. In an attempt to change child sexual abuse laws in Canada, Fleury embarked on a 10-day hike from Toronto to Ottawa on May 14 – covering over 450 km and finishing on the steps of Parliament Hill.

Fleury was sexually abused himself more than 30 years ago, and says that sexual abuse victims in Canada do not get the support they need.

“So we thought we would try to ignite the country, get a lot of awareness, and really promote healing at the same time.” Fleury told Global’s Gord Steinke in March.

Supporters who could not join Fleury in his trek across Ontario have started their own Victor Walks in cities all over Canada.

The “Victor Movement,” as some call it, spread to Edmonton on Thursday. Many of the supporters dressed in the orange colours that have become synonymous with the campaign as they gathered at the Leglislature.

“There is nothing more important than our kids,” said Glori Meldrum, founder and chair of Little Warriors. “There are more than eight million survivors around the country. It is an epidemic. People don’t want to talk about, but that’s what we are doing.”

According to the Victor Walk website, one-in-three girls and one-in-five boys are sexually abused before the age of 18.

Fleury and his supporters are demanding a 15-year minimum sentence for child molesters. Currently, the minimum is no more than 90 days, or six months for more serious offences.

Thousands of dollars in donations have poured in from around the country, and a portion of that money will be used to help build the Little Warriors’ Be Brave Ranch in Edmonton – a long term treatment facility for children who have been sexually abused.

The Be Brave Ranch will be the first of its kind in Canada.

However, for Fleury, the movement is not just about changing laws, but is also about helping victims to move past their abuse while helping other victims to do the same.

“I think you are in therapy for the rest of your life,” he said. “But it does get easier. I have an incredible life today, and it is all getting back to why we are here on this earth: to help people.”