New licence plates support families of missing, murdered Indigenous women and girls

New specialty licence plates are to be available this fall in Manitoba to raise money for families of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit individuals.

Crown-owned Manitoba Public Insurance says it will offer two designs – one featuring a red dress and one featuring a red hand mark.

Each plate costs $70, of which $30 will go to a charity in support of affected families.

Similar plates have been issued for other charities such as the Winnipeg Humane Society and a group that funds research into childhood cancer.

The move was promised last year after the Opposition New Democrats introduced a bill in the legislature to create the plate.

Justice Minister Kelvin Goertzen says the plates will raise awareness of an important issue.

“The tragedy of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people is felt deeply across Manitoba and all of Canada,” Goertzen said in a news release Tuesday.

“Our government is committed to acts of reconciliation, like these specialty licence plates, and this initiative will allow Manitobans to show their solidarity with the families and communities living with the ongoing grief of losing loved ones.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 1, 2023.