Pink shirts and pledges: Students, St. Clair Catholic board and Royal Bay mark Pink Shirt Day
Many schools and students wore pink on Wednesday, Feb. 25 for Pink Shirt Day, a national anti-bullying event that organizers and students say is meant to push back against bullying and to promote kindness. The day’s visibility matters because recent reporting and school messages link the pink gesture to statistics and real harms that advocates say require action now.
Royal Bay student Gabriel Mackintosh frames the day — published at 7: 00 am on Feb. 25, 2026
Gabriel Mackintosh, a student at Royal Bay Secondary School, wrote an opinion piece published at 7: 00 am Wednesday, February 25, 2026 urging peers to treat Pink Shirt Day as more than a fashion choice. In his piece he called wearing a pink shirt a call to stand against bullying and noted that many people will wear pink on Wednesday, Feb. 25 for the national anti-bullying event. The article included a courtesy photo of Gabriel Mackintosh.
Origin story recalled: Grade 9 boy in Nova Scotia and the halls filled with pink
The pink shirt tradition traces back to a Grade 9 boy in Nova Scotia who wanted to wear a pink shirt to school and was bullied for it. The next day, a couple of older boys gathered their peers and filled the halls with pink shirts on the adolescent backs of their classmates. That story is cited as the origin of the day’s gesture and is invoked by students and schools when they encourage participation.
St. Clair Catholic schools "a sea of Pink" as staff and students pledge belonging
St. Clair Catholic schools described their campuses as "a sea of pink" on the day, saying that by wearing pink students and staff were making a visible commitment to fostering a culture of belonging and spreading kindness in everything they do. The St. Clair Catholic District School Board said, "At SCCDSB, we believe every child is a gift, and we strive to ensure every student feels seen, valued, and supported—not just today, but every day. " The board added thanks to educators and families for modelling compassion and grace and urged keeping the spirit of Pink Shirt Day alive all year long. The board’s web presence includes the line St. Clair Catholic District School Board © 2021.
Prevalence and consequences: Raising Canada report and suicide risks
The annual Raising Canada report from Children First Canada found that over 70% of kids have experienced some form of bullying. The report also found that one in five children has been cyberbullied and one in four do not feel supported by their teachers. The student commentary warned that many kids see school not as a safe place to learn but as a prison with a math class and said a bad school environment can have deadly consequences. Gabriel Mackintosh wrote, "I know kids who have attempted suicide because of bullies. " He cited studies that show at least half of youth suicides are influenced by bullying and that those who are bullied are two to nine times more likely to consider suicide than those who are not bullied.
Practical push: teach empathy, champion kindness and step in when you see bullying
Both the student voice and school messages stressed a practical agenda: stop bullying and start teaching empathy. They called for championing kindness not only in schools but in clubs, theatre programs and sports teams. Students and staff urged peers to step in when they see bullying—by telling a trusted adult, interjecting directly if it is safe to do so, or simply talking to a lonely kid who doesn’t have anyone to talk to. The guidance presented these actions as concrete ways to keep the spirit of Pink Shirt Day alive beyond the single day of visible solidarity.
