BC Girl Guides invites all British Columbians to celebrate girl empowerment on Monday, February 22, 2021 during Guiding Lights Across BC. This COVID-safe celebration will bring communities together and light up BC in the colour blue – the well-known colour of Girl Guides – while sharing joy with girls and the public.

90+ local landmarks across the province (like stadiums, bridges, structures, and buildings) will light up in “Guiding blue” after dark on the evening of February 22. Thousands of Girl Guide members are expected to decorate their homes and neighbourhoods throughout BC. The public is also invited to ‘shine a Guiding light’ by lighting their homes in blue.

Participating sites range from major landmarks like BC Place, Canada Place, the Olympic Cauldron, Science World, and the BC Legislature, to local sites like The Bastion at the Nanaimo Museum, Prince George’s Mr. PG, Kelowna Tourism Centre, and Duncan’s World’s Largest Hockey Stick. A map of landmarks is available at www.girlguides.ca/guidinglightsacrossbc

Every year on February 22, Girl Guides celebrate World Thinking Day, a day of international friendship. It is an opportunity to speak out on issues that affect girls and young women, celebrate the founding of Girl Guides, and be connected to the 10 million members around the world who are part of the Guiding movement. Past celebrations in BC like large camps and events are not feasible this year, so 2021 will feature an open-air celebration in the outdoors for everyone to be part of.

“Our Girl Guide members light up their communities all year round through leadership, community service, and efforts to create a better world, by girls,” said Diamond Isinger, provincial commissioner of the Girl Guides of Canada. “Despite the challenges of COVID-19, thousands of BC girls have stayed connected with online Girl Guide meetings, live virtual events, and safe outdoor activities. Now more than ever, it’s important for girls to develop relationships and make connections in their community. Guiding Lights Across BC is an exciting opportunity to celebrate how girls have kept their ‘Guiding lights’ shining bright in unprecedented times.”

This year’s Thinking Day festivities will look different than usual due to the current health realities, but Guiding members are excited to celebrate in a way that is physically distant, keeps our communities safe, and brings a smile to the faces of girls, families, volunteers, and the public.