On a recent May 30, 2025, Teal Day in Charlotte County, New Brunswick, the Willow Centre—a St. Stephen–based sexual violence resource hub—transformed the region into a sea of teal to confront an often-silenced issue. Now in its fourth year, Teal Day invites residents to don the colour designated in 2001 by the U.S. National Sexual Violence Resource Centre, drawing public attention to sexual violence and standing in solidarity with survivors.

But the day’s teal shirts and ribbons are only the beginning. In a rural corner of the province where stigma still silences too many voices, the Willow Centre offers one of the few lifelines for survivors. “This month is about chipping away at silence,” says Sam Gullison, the campaign’s founder and the centre’s community-outreach coordinator. “We use Teal Day’s visibility to remind people that sexual violence happens here—and survivors deserve support here.”

Last year, 41 sexual assaults were formally reported in Charlotte County. Yet, national studies suggest that those figures represent only 5 to 6 percent of actual incidents. In the first quarter of 2024 alone, the Willow Centre documented 21 cases—half of the previous year’s total in just three months. Those numbers, says Sexual Violence Counsellor Stephanie Clarke, underscore how stigma and isolation prevent many survivors from seeking help. “Stigma tells people their experiences are shameful or unbelievable,” Clarke explains. “Our role is to push back—offering safety, support, and choices whether someone reports to police or not.”

Operating on limited funding, the Willow Centre provides free counselling, advocacy, and crisis intervention. Its staff also travel into neighbouring communities with “pop-up” services—a model increasingly vital to rural mental-health care. Local businesses and artisans bolster the effort on Teal Day: shops offer discounts, and a quilt donated by a craftsperson is raffled to fund the centre’s operations. “Wearing teal is a start,” Gullison acknowledges. “But we need policy, funding, and honest conversations about what sexual violence looks like in small towns.”

Clarke points out that the statistics—one in three women, one in six men—make clear this crisis touches every family and friendship circle. “If you think this doesn’t affect you, you’re just not hearing the stories,” she says.

As Sexual Violence Awareness Month continues, the Willow Centre is rolling out educational sessions in schools and public spaces, aiming to build a culture of consent, accountability, and healing. Teal Day may be a single date on the calendar, but its true mission is ongoing: to bridge systemic gaps with grassroots action, reduce silence with solidarity, and remind a rural province that lasting change requires both local courage and sustained structural investment.