Fourth annual Royal LePage® Shelter Foundation™ Night Light Walk™ expands to 15 communities amid shortage of second-stage housing
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TORONTO, Oct. 19, 2026 /CNW/ -- With survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) facing a shortage of longer-term housing options, thousands of Canadians across fifteen communities will come together this fall for the fourth annual Royal LePage® Shelter Foundation™ Night Light Walk™, presented by TD. As Canada's largest event series dedicated to supporting women's shelters, the fundraiser brings together families, frontline advocates and Royal LePage REALTORS® to raise funds for second-stage housing and transitional shelters for women and children escaping abuse.
The need for longer-term housing and support for survivors is growing. Police-reported IPV has climbed 14 per cent since 2018,1 with women and girls continuing to be disproportionately represented among victims. Because most incidents are never reported to police, the true scale is understood to be significantly larger. In 2025 alone, 148 women and girls were victims of femicide in Canada,2 and in 2024, nearly one out of every six homicide victims nationwide was killed by a spouse or intimate partner.3
For survivors leaving emergency shelters, finding a safe and affordable home can be challenging. With second-stage and transitional housing in short supply and affordable housing increasingly difficult to secure, many face few options when their emergency stay ends. Eighty per cent of emergency and transitional shelters, and 65 per cent of second-stage shelters report extending stays, contributing to longer waitlists and higher turn-away rates.4 Second-stage housing helps fill this critical gap, giving survivors a safe, stable place to rebuild their lives as they transition toward independent living. Without access to this longer-term support, some may face an impossible choice: housing insecurity or returning to an abusive home.
Funds raised by Night Light Walk participants directly finance new shelter construction projects, facility expansions, and specialized transitional support programs for those escaping IPV. These investments turn immediate safety into long-term stability by providing second-stage housing alongside trauma counselling, legal aid, and job training.
"For decades, the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation has brought our people and communities together to help women and children find safety and security," said Phil Soper, president and CEO, Royal LePage. "This year, thousands of people will take to the streets in cities and towns across Canada for the Night Light Walk, raising much-needed funds and shining a light on the issue of intimate partner violence. Together, we have raised more than $57 million and helped thousands of women and children find a safer path forward. Every person who walks, donates or volunteers helps us extend that reach."
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This year's Night Light Walk returns to Coquitlam and Victoria in British Columbia; Calgary, Edmonton and Grande Prairie in Alberta; and Belleville, Guelph, Ottawa, Toronto and Windsor in Ontario. The event is also expanding to five new communities in 2026, with walks taking place in Barrie, Oakville and Whitby, Ontario; in Quebec's Eastern Townships; and in St. John's, Newfoundland.
While IPV is too often shrouded in silence and stigma, the Night Light Walk makes support for survivors visible. Across participating locations, attendees don illuminated toques and carry lanterns along a three-kilometer route in a show of community solidarity for sisters, daughters, mothers, and friends impacted by abuse.
"This walk has grown into a powerful national movement because Canadians understand that ending violence requires tangible investment in transitional housing," said Lisa Gibbs, executive director, Royal LePage Shelter Foundation. "In 2025, the Night Light Walk raised more than $430,000. Every dollar raised goes directly to local shelters and groundbreaking second-stage housing builds. When we light up our streets together, we show survivors that their entire community stands behind them."
How Canadians Can Take Part:
- Register and Fundraise: Sign up online at nightlightwalk.ca to join a team or walk as an individual.
- Light the Way: Join local walks taking place on October 20th in Belleville, and on October 22nd in Barrie, Calgary, Coquitlam, Edmonton, the Eastern Townships, Grande Prairie, Guelph, Oakville, Ottawa, St. John's, Toronto, Victoria, Whitby and Windsor.
- Amplify the Cause: Share photos and messages of support on social media using the hashtag #NightLightWalk.
- Learn More: Access additional statistics and background on the cause in the 2025 Royal LePage Shelter Foundation Impact Report: rlp.ca/2025-Royal-LePage-Shelter-Foundation-Impact-Report
The Royal LePage Shelter Foundation is grateful to the sponsors who make this event possible, including presenting Sponsor TD, Route Sponsor Make Space Storage, and Burson.
About the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation
Since its founding in 1998, the Royal LePage® Shelter FoundationTM has proudly grown to become the largest public foundation in Canada dedicated exclusively to funding women's shelters and domestic violence prevention. Royal LePage is the only Canadian real estate company with its own charitable foundation. The Shelter Foundation has raised more than $57 million to-date and currently supports 200 local women's shelters and national partners. Agents donate a portion of their commissions, and Royal LePage offices across Canada host local fundraising events such as the Night Light Walk. Every dollar raised goes directly to helping the more than 50,000 women and children who are served each year by the shelters and support programs we fund.
SOURCE Royal LePage Shelter Foundation
Media Contact: Charmaine de Silva, Burson on behalf of Royal LePage, [email protected], (604)-360-2328
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