Mass breastfeeding event moves to theatre after rejection by local malls
Fears of offending shoppers sparks move to SilverCity
Katherine Dedyna
Times Colonist
Monday, July 28, 2008
More than 200 nursing mothers are expected for a mass latch-on Oct. 11 at the SilverCity theatre after organizers of the Quintessence Breastfeeding Challenge failed to find a mall to accommodate the event.
In early February, organizer Julie McCracken began approaching just about every shopping centre in the region, with some discussions going on for weeks.
"It went nowhere," she says, adding she heard everything from "we don't rent our mall to political groups" to fears that it would offend regular shoppers. While some malls were too small or had already been booked, it's a pattern that's been repeated now for several years.
"I don't think a medical health officer in Canada would see this as a positive indicator," says Dr. Richard Stanwick, chief medical officer of health for the Vancouver Island Health Authority, which sponsors the Breastfeeding Challenge. "We are desperately encouraging moms to breastfeed to at least six months of age."
Society needs to recognize that breastfeeding mothers are giving their babies the best nutritional start, he says.
"Whether it's 120 or two moms breastfeeding, it should be considered something that's totally within the public norm, rather than something that needs to be sequestered."
The theatre is a "great" space, but the public won't be there on a Saturday morning, thwarting a key reason for the nurse-in -- to normalize breastfeeding in public, McCracken says.
Last year, 120 breastfeeding women turned out to Centennial Square for the internationally celebrated event in 11 C weather and a threat of rain.
McCracken finds it "really sad" that after supportive conversations, particularly with Tillicum Shopping Centre, there was so much worry about negative reaction from regular customers.
"The Breastfeeding Challenge was just not something we felt was conducive to business," acknowledges Anne Marie Kenwood, manager of Tillicum Shopping Centre, who says she was not involved with discussions.
Town & County Shopping Centre is under construction and University Centre wasn't big enough. The Bay Centre indicated it didn't cater to families and suggested the event was too political, McCracken says.
Once babies are latched to the breast, nursing is hardly noticeable, she adds.
Mayfair Shopping Centre first suggested the too-small area in front of Toys R Us because its central square is used for revenue-generating events, McCracken says. A further request met with a e-mail thanking them for their interest but saying they could not be accommodated on that date. Hillside had a previous booking with a community group for Oct. 11.
Mayfair Shopping Centre and the Bay Centre could not be reached for comment.
"I think if the malls were interested in advocating for breastfeeding families and breastfeeding in general, then they would have made a space," says Victoria Coun. Sonya Chandler, who is breastfeeding her daughter and supports the event.
She's disappointed at what she sees as unwillingness to take small steps in favour of supporting huge health benefits -- breastfeeding reduces infections and allergies in babies and cancer in mothers.
"We need the community to stand behind us, ask why we wouldn't be welcome and find out who really would be offended by seeing a group of moms nursing their babies," McCracken says.
kdedyna@tc.canwest.com
© Times Colonist (Victoria) 2008
Fears of offending shoppers sparks move to SilverCity
Katherine Dedyna
Times Colonist
Monday, July 28, 2008
More than 200 nursing mothers are expected for a mass latch-on Oct. 11 at the SilverCity theatre after organizers of the Quintessence Breastfeeding Challenge failed to find a mall to accommodate the event.
In early February, organizer Julie McCracken began approaching just about every shopping centre in the region, with some discussions going on for weeks.
"It went nowhere," she says, adding she heard everything from "we don't rent our mall to political groups" to fears that it would offend regular shoppers. While some malls were too small or had already been booked, it's a pattern that's been repeated now for several years.
"I don't think a medical health officer in Canada would see this as a positive indicator," says Dr. Richard Stanwick, chief medical officer of health for the Vancouver Island Health Authority, which sponsors the Breastfeeding Challenge. "We are desperately encouraging moms to breastfeed to at least six months of age."
Society needs to recognize that breastfeeding mothers are giving their babies the best nutritional start, he says.
"Whether it's 120 or two moms breastfeeding, it should be considered something that's totally within the public norm, rather than something that needs to be sequestered."
The theatre is a "great" space, but the public won't be there on a Saturday morning, thwarting a key reason for the nurse-in -- to normalize breastfeeding in public, McCracken says.
Last year, 120 breastfeeding women turned out to Centennial Square for the internationally celebrated event in 11 C weather and a threat of rain.
McCracken finds it "really sad" that after supportive conversations, particularly with Tillicum Shopping Centre, there was so much worry about negative reaction from regular customers.
"The Breastfeeding Challenge was just not something we felt was conducive to business," acknowledges Anne Marie Kenwood, manager of Tillicum Shopping Centre, who says she was not involved with discussions.
Town & County Shopping Centre is under construction and University Centre wasn't big enough. The Bay Centre indicated it didn't cater to families and suggested the event was too political, McCracken says.
Once babies are latched to the breast, nursing is hardly noticeable, she adds.
Mayfair Shopping Centre first suggested the too-small area in front of Toys R Us because its central square is used for revenue-generating events, McCracken says. A further request met with a e-mail thanking them for their interest but saying they could not be accommodated on that date. Hillside had a previous booking with a community group for Oct. 11.
Mayfair Shopping Centre and the Bay Centre could not be reached for comment.
"I think if the malls were interested in advocating for breastfeeding families and breastfeeding in general, then they would have made a space," says Victoria Coun. Sonya Chandler, who is breastfeeding her daughter and supports the event.
She's disappointed at what she sees as unwillingness to take small steps in favour of supporting huge health benefits -- breastfeeding reduces infections and allergies in babies and cancer in mothers.
"We need the community to stand behind us, ask why we wouldn't be welcome and find out who really would be offended by seeing a group of moms nursing their babies," McCracken says.
kdedyna@tc.canwest.com
© Times Colonist (Victoria) 2008
I especially find it suprising cause it's in BC, I always think of BC as being very open-minded. I know here in NS, the malls seem to be on the "let's build a nice nursing room" bandwagon, so they are no more open-minded about NIP (of course, it is a step up from nursing in a bathroom, so I guess they deserve some credit for that!).
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