TIMMINS — Vanessa Brousseau is hitting the road, not for a vacation, but for a mission rooted in grief, advocacy, and hope.
The North Bay-based Indigenous activist, who grew up in Timmins, has bought an RV to travel across the country and raise awareness for missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirit people (MMIWG2S).
Her journey, set to begin June 28, is the realization of a long-held dream, one sparked in part by the 2003 disappearance of her sister, Pamela Holopainen.
“It still seems unreal,” said Brousseau, speaking to TimminsToday while en route to pick up the RV in Ottawa on Tuesday.
“It doesn't seem like it's actually happening, because it's been a dream for so long”
Brousseau recently launched a GoFundMe campaign that has raised over $11,000 to date. But the cost of the RV, including financing, totals more than $86,000, with monthly payments of $1,200.
She’s hopeful that once the RV is painted and hits the road, more people and organizations will step forward to help.
“I’ve emailed First Nations, Inuit organizations, non-Indigenous organizations, but nobody has responded to me,” she said.
“But nothing is stopping me. All my support has come from my followers. If I didn’t have my platform, this wouldn’t be happening.”
With more than 165,000 followers on TikTok and over 164,000 followers on Instagram and Facebook, Brousseau has cultivated a powerful community focused on truth-telling, education, and healing. Now, she’s taking that energy on the road, with a vehicle that’s as symbolic as it is functional.
The RV itself will serve as a mobile tribute and classroom. Brousseau envisions the driver’s side educating Canadians about the MMIWG2S crisis, while the passenger side will be dedicated to families, becoming a space for remembrance, connection, and healing. Every provincial flag she visits will bear the names of loved ones lost, handwritten by family members.
“I want the back to have my website, so people can find out more. And on the front, I’m hoping we can put a powerful red hand. So when you see the RV coming, you’re like, ‘Oh shit, what’s that?’ And then I’m educating at the same time,” she said.
A well-known artist — whose identity Brousseau is keeping private out of respect for his wish not to overshadow the message — is painting the RV free-of-charge in his Toronto yard.
“I said, ‘When people see it, they’re going to know.’ Because you can tell when someone’s a famous artist. But he said, ‘It’s not about me.’ He doesn’t want to take away from the message. He’s a very humble man,” said Brousseau
Brousseau’s journey begins in Pic Mobert First Nation on June 28, with stops scheduled in Thunder Bay on June 29 and Kenora on July 2 and 3. Along the way, she has at least seven red dress workshops booked through the end of July, with more being planned.
“This isn’t just, ‘Oh we’re going to B.C. and back.’ No, we’re going to B.C., then east, and then back again,” she said. “This is something I’m doing for the rest of my life.”
During the winter months, Brousseau plans to focus on communities closer to home in Northern Ontario.
Inside the RV, the décor will also reflect the red dress movement, with artwork Brousseau has created or received from supporters. Her platform has also helped fill the vehicle with practical and heartfelt gifts from her Amazon wish list.
But her campaign is about more than visibility, it’s also about action.
Brousseau has written three books to support education and allyship: Becoming Resilient Inuk, a truth-filled adult memoir; Because We Care, a children’s book that explains the issue to kids under 12; and a reflective Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) awareness workbook for high school students, university learners, and allies.
“My goal is to not only create awareness but teach people what actions they can take to make the change that’s needed,” she said.
Though Brousseau is motivated by her sister Pamela’s still-unsolved disappearance, she is clear that this journey is not about her.
“This is about amplifying the work already being done in each community. In every community, there are warriors and matriarchs making change. I just want to amplify them.”
Every stop will be documented through video and live streamed content on Brousseau’s social media.
She said she knows this work will change her, too.
When asked what she’d say to a young Indigenous girl who sees her RV rolling into town, she paused, emotional.
“You’re going to make me cry,” she said. “I really want our youth to not only be heard and seen, but I want them to feel valued. I want them to know that someone does care about them and their future and keeping them safe.”
“I come and I’m gone, but maybe I’ll make a space for them to speak. Because our youth are so powerful.”
To learn more or to support Brousseau’s cross-country awareness campaign, visit the GoFundMe. She can also be found on TikTok and Facebook.