Bridget Tolley's mother, Gladys Tolley, was struck and killed by a
Sûreté du Québec (Quebec Provincial Police) cruiser near Maniwaki, Quebec, on the night of October 5, 2001. A year after her mother's death, Tolley discovered that the police had terminated the investigation into her mother’s death without informing her. Tolley began investigating her mother's death herself, and in the process became an activist for
Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. Tolley is the founder of the
MMIW organization,
Families of Sisters in Spirit (FSIS). She is also a founding member of Justice for Victims of Police Killings and is involved with the
Native Women's Association of Canada Sisters in Spirit Vigils. Tolley is active in other social issues such as child welfare, police violence,
Indigenous education and housing. == References ==