Update: The event had wrapped! Click here to view photos, news coverage, and ways to take action.
Marking the Anniversary of the 2021 Liberal Mandate Letter Promise to Ban Live Horse Exports for Slaughter
- When: Tuesday, December 16, 2025
- Where: 11 cities nationwide. Join an event in a participating city!
Locations and times listed below.
Click the buttons here to RSVP on Facebook:
A Nationwide Moment of Remembrance
On the anniversary of the Agriculture Minister’s December 16, 2021 mandate letter—one that included a clear promise to end live horse exports for slaughter—Canadians across the country are coming together for a peaceful candlelight vigil to honour the thousands of horses who have suffered and died since that commitment was made.
Despite the Liberal Party’s 2021 pledge to ban this industry, more than 10,700 Canadian horses have been shipped on gruelling long-haul flights to Japan since the Agriculture Minister was mandated to make good on the commitment. Many arrive injured, severely dehydrated, or deeply stressed. They are doused with harsh disinfectant chemicals as they arrive at quarantine facilities, fattened, and violently slaughtered. Others never make it off the planes alive. Horses regularly die during transport or in the hours and days that follow—victims of untreated injuries, extreme exhaustion, and even tragic miscarriages.
Animal Justice, along with the Canadian Horse Defence Coalition, Humane World for Animals Canada, and local partner organizations will be hosting 11 coordinated events across Canada on December 16, bringing together communities from coast to coast in unity, compassion, and determination. Together, we will honour the horses whose lives were taken and remind our government that these animals must not be forgotten.
Participating Cities
Charlottetown
- Location: Soldiers’ Memorial co Grafton and Great George Street
- Time: 5 PM – 6 PM
- Facebook Event for Charlottetown
Winnipeg
- Location: Portage & Main (southwest corner sidewalk, near Scotiabank)
- Time: 6 PM – 7 PM
- Facebook Event for Winnipeg
Toronto
- Location: Evan Solomon’s Office – 409 Parliament Street
- Time: 6 PM – 7 PM
- Facebook Event for Toronto
Calgary
- Location: Harley Hotchkiss Gardens – 611 4 Street SW
- Time: 6 PM – 7 PM
- Facebook Event for Calgary
Moncton
- Location: Ginette Petitpa’s Office – 272 St. George Street
- Time: 4 PM – 5 PM
- Facebook Event for Moncton
Ottawa
- Location: Parliament Hill – Meeting Point: Eternal Flame
- Time: 6 PM – 7 PM
- Facebook Event for Ottawa
Edmonton
- Location: Eleanor Olszewski’s Office – Main office at 104-12220 Stony Plain Rd, NW
- Time: 4 PM – 6 PM
- Facebook Event for Edmonton
Halifax
- Location: City Hall -1841 Argyle Street
- Time: 6 PM – 7 PM
- Facebook Event for Halifax
London
- Location: Victoria Park – 580 Clarence Street (Richmond St & Central Ave Corner)
- Time: 6 PM – 7 PM
- Facebook Event for London
Vancouver
- Location: Vancouver City Hall – 453 W 12th Ave
- Time: 6 PM – 7 PM
- Facebook Event for Vancouver
Montreal
- Location: Place Vauquelin – 275 Notre-Dame St. East
- Time: 6 PM – 7 PM
- Facebook Event for Montreal
What to Expect at the Vigil
- Standing together in solidarity and compassion
- Reflections and shared words from community members and advocates
- A moment of silence to honour the horses who have been lost
- The opportunity to lay letters, flowers, candles, or symbolic items at a shared memorial
- A collective call for the government to act now and end this cruelty
Inviting Elected Leaders to Stand With Us
As part of this national day of remembrance, we are also inviting Members of Parliament to attend and speak at vigils across the country. Their presence is a meaningful opportunity to acknowledge the importance of making good on the 2021 promise to Canadians, listen directly to their constituents, and demonstrate support across party lines for ending live horse exports for slaughter. We hope MPs from all parties will join us in honouring the lives lost and committing to urgent action.
A Call for Immediate Action
This vigil is not only a solemn act of remembrance—it is a call for justice. We are urging the federal government to fulfill the Liberal Party’s commitment and pass regulatory amendments to immediately ban live horse exports for slaughter. Each day of delay means more horses endure long, terrifying journeys overseas with tragic consequences.
Join Us
All are welcome. Bring your voice, your heart, and your hope for a kinder future. Together, on this anniversary, we will stand for the horses—those we lost, and those who still desperately need protection.
Let’s send a clear message to our government: Canadians are relying on the Liberal Party to honour its word and end this cruelty now.
Click below to join a protest in a participating city.
