Pink shirts, pink balloons, pink cupcakes – and a cannon.

On February 26, hundreds of U of T Engineering students, staff and faculty headed to the Sandford Fleming Atrium in support of Pink Shirt Day, a growing cross-Canada initiative to stop bullying.

Hosted by Engineering Positive Space for the second year at U of T, the pink-shirted participants gathered to celebrate diversity and constructive relationships. Passing students stopped to inscribe anti-bullying messages on helium balloons, while others enjoyed pink desserts supplied by Veda, and mingled amongst each other in a shared positive spirit.

The event also went off with a bang. The Lady Godiva Memorial Band and the Cannon Guard made a special appearance to fire the Skule Cannon. If the ear-splitting sound wasn’t heard beyond the building’s walls, their joyous musical march certainly was.

“What was most gratifying to me,” said Peter Weiss, Senior Lecturer and Director of the Engineering Communications Program, “was the extent to which we heard, when planning and asking for the participation of groups like LGMB, Cannon Guard or Veda: ‘Yes. Of course. This is a tradition!’”

“What a great tradition to establish. I am so proud of the leadership role U of T Engineering has taken in promoting inclusivity in the Faculty, in the university and beyond.”

Pink Shirt Day began in 2007 when a group of Nova Scotian teenagers wore pink shirts in protest of homophobic bullying at their high school. Since then, the one-day celebration has spread across Canada and beyond.