'We haven't forgotten:' Hundreds at 3rd Calgary Women's March not dissuaded by cold

It's been three years of marches, but for hundreds that braved the sub-zero weather in Calgary on Saturday for the annual Women's March, that was all the more reason to raise their voices and speak out.

Marchers carried signs like "weak men fear strong women," "stronger together" and "end sexual violence" as they strode along Stephen Avenue toward City Hall.

Jessy Rajan, one of the protesters, said while the march was born in solidarity with those protesting the election of a president accused of sexual assault in the U.S. in 2017, it's become so much more and is still necessary.

"Nothing's really changed, and we haven't forgotten, and we're here," she said.

U.S. President Donald Trump wasn't far from the minds of marchers, with a miniature version of the infamous inflatable caricature of him as an angry orange baby floating overhead.

Organizer Esmahan Razavi said marchers were drawing attention to a variety of issues, from missing and murdered Indigenous women, issues that impact working mothers, transgender rights and sexual violence.

"There are so many issues that effect women and girls and that's why marches like this are so important," she said.

Razavi said one of the Alberta-centric messages marchers are hoping to get out in advance of the spring election is to look at party's policies when it comes to women's issues and ask candidates for how they plan to support equal rights if elected.

The crowd didn't seem phased by a smaller, simultaneous protest held at city hall by the yellow vests. The group has been protesting weekly at that location against a wide swath of grievances from the Trudeau government, to carbon tax to immigration.

The group of mostly men carried signs like "stop illegals now" and "make Trudeau a drama teacher again."

But for those in the crowd at the women's march, the messages were hopeful, centring on solidarity.

"We are here to stand up for each other," said marcher Tet Millare.