The recent #MeToo movement soared to new heights in Barrie with a butterfly release at Sunnidale Park Arboretum.
The social media hashtag recently opened the floodgates to millions of people affected by sexual harassment, intimidation and assault following countless allegations of sexual misconduct against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein.
But organizers of Barrie's butterfly release on Friday afternoon say the movement also left a gap with little talk about healing, strength and resilience.
Jean Leggett, Danna Pharant and KImberly Sunshine Slater decided to use king of butterflies, the monarch, and its life-cycle -a universal sign of transformation and new beginnings - to help others to heal.
"We saw the #MeToo campaign that was going around on Facebook and a lot of us have experienced sexual harassment, sexual violations, sexual assaults and we were overwhelmed by all the messages we were seeing. It's impacted each of our lives in different ways," said Leggett, CEO of One More Story Games.
"What we've done is we've taken messages from people and basically whispered those to the butterflies so that they can carry that off on their 3,000 mile journey to Mexico."
A small crowd gathered for the event and held the familiar black, orange, and white patterned creatures in the palm of their hands before letting go of the wings and allowing the iconic insects to fly.
Slater, the Butterfly Whisperer, has been raising monarch butterflies for over for 40 years and thought the release would be a way for people to 'release, transform and soar,' the tag line for the event.
She is also a legal writer in employment standards and transformational coach.
"I specialize in personalized butterfly experiences which often end in a personal butterfly release," said Slater.
"People will send me messages from all around the world and I will whisper those messages to the butterflies before they get released. It's based on a Native American Indian legend that says if you capture a butterfly, in exchange for giving it its freedom, if you whisper and wish to that butterfly it will take that wish up to the great spirit. I've extended that - it could be a wish, a prayer, a blessing, affirmations, dreams, messages to people that have crossed over and the like."
Fellow organizer, Pharant is owner of Inner Dominatrix, and in her business works with female entrepreneurs as a coach, speaker and trainer.
"The whole sexual assault piece is a big piece of my background and the healing I did so I'm really passionate about helping other women to actually heal that trauma as well," said Pharant.
"What a great way to shift the message of the #MeToo because it's been stirring up everybody's trauma, stirring up the pain and I think it's time to shift that conversation over to one of let's heal and let's feel empowered."
Against brilliant blue skies, the butterflies were gingerly lifted from their net enclosures and set free.
"It's very common for a lot of us to spend out lives acting like caterpillers when really we have wings inside to fly," said Slater.
"In our case today we're providing that opportunity to release, to transform and to soar because we are all meant to soar."
The One More Story Games CEO and executive producer Leggett makes video games that focus on womens' stories and is currently working on a video game with Charlaine Harris who did the True Blood series on HBO.
"It's about a sexual assault survivor. For me this is very close to home," said Leggett, who welcomed the comfort of the symbolism.
"This idea that we're releasing all of the pain and all of the hurt that we've experienced. Butterflies transform as do humans. For all of us to soar and move beyond the hurts we've had."
For more information visit The Butterfly Whisperer Facebook page or call 416-720-8865.
