Barrie city council has declared gender-based, intimate partner violence an epidemic.
Council did so tonight following a vigil marking a Canadian tragedy that happened 34 years ago.
The National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women reflects upon and remembers the 14 young women killed Dec. 6, 1989, known as the Montreal Massacre, at Ecole Polytechnique.
“This is our collective call to action,” Teresa MacLennan, executive director of the Women and Children’s Shelter of Barrie, speaking in the Barrie City Hall Rotunda, said of the vigil. “Our collective voice is powerful.”
Council later gave unanimous approval to a direct motion, which was introduced without notice.
Barrie Mayor Alex Nuttall said council needed to take a stand.
“There are things that are so egregious that we have to be on record,” he said. “It is an epidemic.”
“It’s up to us men who need to step up and be better,” said Deputy Mayor Robert Thomson. “The Women and Children’s Shelter of Barrie are doing God’s work.”
“The work you do matters,” Coun. Ann-Marie Kungl said to agency members in the Council Chamber.
“It’s a very tragic situation that happens in our city,” Coun. Clare Riepma said of gender-based, intimate partner violence. “Sometimes it is visible, sometimes it is not.”
Coun. Amy Courser also said this is a local tragedy.
“It is our neighbours, our families, our city,” she said. “We need to do something.”
The Women and Children’s Shelter of Barrie is already doing the work, but it’s a struggle. The shelter is able to house 27 women and their children at one time, but has been over-capacity for several months. MacLennan said it usually operates with more than 30 to 35 women and children there.
Shelter workers "need to refer out over 500 women and children to other shelters because they are over capacity.” she said. “The shelter receives 60 per cent partial funding to keep their doors open, but needs to fundraise almost $500,000 to maintain their current service needs.
“The lack of safe and affordable housing has impacted women and children being able to leave the shelter and that creates a backlog of being able to bring new women into service who are desperate for safety,” MacLennan added.
With Wednesday evening’s vigil, however, came stark numbers. As many as 62 women and girls have been killed between Nov. 26, 2022 and Nov. 25 2023, according to the annual femicide list compiled by the Ontario Association of Interval and Transition Houses and researchers at the University of Guelph.
The femicide list ranges in age from six to 90 years and includes women, children, trans-women, two-spirit and gender non-conforming individuals whose deaths were at the hands of men.
Shelter officials have also acknowledged the staggering amount of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls in Canada.
While making up much less of the population of all women in Canada, shelter officials say the rate of missing and murdered Indigenous women is disproportionately higher compared to non-Indigenous women. Indigenous women and girls are six times more likely to experience violence than any other population in Canada.
“The shelter has also experienced a drastic increase in the amount of women experiencing human trafficking, as Barrie is a gateway of highway corridors that aid in the transporting of trafficked victims throughout different cities in Ontario,” MacLennan said. “The Women and Children’s Shelter receives no additional funding to support the human-trafficking victims, but has incorporated those needs into their fundraising goals.
“The shelter says they don’t see the situation changing and need more funding and to offer more services to meet the needs of the increases in women and children," she added.
On Wednesday, the Ontario government announced $18.7 million in funding to help prevent and address violence against women and girls. This includes $18.14 million to approximately 400 gender-based violence service providers across the province to help them hire more staff, improve services and increase their ability to provide services to women and children.
Just before the vigil, MacLennan said that it was too early for the agency to determine if it would be eligible for this funding, how to access it or to what level.
The province has existing funding of $1.4 billion during the next four years to end gender-based violence and support victims.
MacLennan said she hopes city council’s declaration will help, as there’s pressure for it to happen at the provincial level, too.
“At this time, the province of Ontario has neglected to make this declaration while over 70 municipalities and cities have done so,” she said.
The Women and Children’s Shelter of Barrie has been providing shelter and support services to abused women and children since 1981. It has 27 beds, along with outreach services on-site.
In addition to shelter, staff provide individual and group counselling, legal information and support, court support, information about violence against women, referrals to other community and social services, and public education in the community.
“The shelter has continued to see an increase in requests for all their services including their emergency shelter and community outreach services,” MacLennan said.
Approximately 1,000 women and children are assisted by the agency annually.
DECLARATION OF AN INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE (IPV) EPIDEMIC
Whereas Gender Based, Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is manifested in a variety of ways including physical, sexual, psychological, aggression, coercion and control;
And whereas on the morning of Sept. 22, 2015, Carol Culleton, Anastasia Kuzyk and Nathalie Warmerdam were murdered by a former partner;
And whereas on June 28, 2022, a five-person jury established as part of a coroner’s inquest into the events of Sept. 22, 2015, delivered 86 recommendations;
And whereas specific legislation addressing family and domestic violence has been passed by six provinces and three territories, however, to date Ontario has not implemented this type of legislation;
Now therefore be it resolved that:
1. The Corporation of the City of Barrie declare a Gender Based, IPV epidemic and call on the Ontario Government to do the same, as per item #1 of the Renfrew County Inquest; and
2. This motion be distributed to the local MPs and MPPS, Solicitor General, Ministry of Women’s Social and Economic Opportunity, Premier of Ontario, Barrie Police Services Board, Ontario Provincial Police, Association of Municipalities of Ontario, and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.
Carried, Unanimously
