BC Place’s Northern Lights Display will be lit blue in solidarity with World Refugee Day on June 20. © BC Place
OTTAWA – On June 19 and 20, iconic landmarks across Canada, including Niagara Falls, the CN Tower, and BC Place, will light up blue to mark World Refugee Day. Blue is the official colour of UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.
Observed globally each year on June 20, World Refugee Day honours the strength and resilience of people who have been forced to flee their homes and affirms their right to safety and dignity.
Canadians are encouraged to share photos of blue-lit landmarks in their communities on social media by tagging UNHCR Canada (Facebook and X: @UNHCRCanada; Instagram: @unhcr_canada) and using the hashtags #WorldRefugeeDay and #WithRefugees. Selected images may be featured on our social media channels.
Participating landmarks
Ordered by province from east to west.
June 19
- Confederation Building (St. John’s, NL)
- Science World (Vancouver, BC)
June 20
- Province House (Halifax, NS)
- CN Tower (Toronto, ON)
- Niagara Falls (Niagara Falls, ON)
- Esplanade Riel (Winnipeg, MB)
- Saskatoon City Hall (Saskatoon, SK)
- Prairie Winds Monument (Saskatoon, SK)
- TELUS Spark Science Centre (Calgary, AB)
- BC Place (Vancouver, BC)
- Vancouver Convention Centre (Vancouver, BC)
Note: Lighting for most landmarks will begin at dusk and may not be visible during daylight hours. The CN Tower will be lit blue for 15 minutes at the top of every hour throughout the evening. Timing and duration may vary by landmark.
For media inquiries, please contact:
- In Ottawa, Levon Sevunts, sevunts@unhcr.org, +1-613-286-6975.
