Nipissing group seeks declaration of intimate partner violence as an 'epidemic'
A North Bay-based organization is planning to lobby municipal councils in northern Ontario to declare intimate partner violence as an epidemic.
The Violence Against Women Coordinating Committee of Nipissing said the statistics speak for themselves.
Last year alone, the Victim Services of Nipissing District received 475 calls related to intimate partner violence. The North Bay Police Service responded to approximately 1,200 calls related to domestic violence.
Also last year, more than 900 survivors of gender-based violence received counselling support and services from various organizations in the community.
The Children’s Aid Society Nipissing & Parry Sound said 13 per cent of its total call volume was related to children being exposed to domestic violence.
"A two per cent increase is a lot of women,” said Beverly Bell, executive director of the Mattawa Women's Resource Centre.
“There's a lot of women still being murdered and that's the ultimate act of violence.”
While the data shows the problem is serious, intimate partner violence is underreported.
"Some women don't come forward because the system has failed them in the past," said Justine Mallah, the committee's chairperson.
"They come out and try to get a safe place to live, for instance, and due to limited funding, there's no room at the shelters."
More than one-third of women in Canada will experience violence at the hands of their partner in their lifetime.
The committee will be presenting to East Ferris council Tuesday night and to Mattawa council Thursday.
The committee is hoping local governments will take action and include the issue in their community safety and well-being plans.
"When there's more awareness amongst citizens, then together we'll be able to be better equipped to stop the violence," said Mallah.
- Download the CTV News app now and get local alerts on your device
- Get local breaking news and updates sent to your email inbox
By declaring an epidemic, Mallah said municipalities will able to better advocate for underfunded and understaffed organizations that work to support victims.
“Violence against women in many different forms is rampant in our community," said Mallah.
"The second piece is how do we stop the cycle of violence?"
This declaration is in response to a June 2022 Renfrew County inquest into the deaths of three women: Carol Culleton, Anastasia Kuzyk, and Nathalie Warmerdam, who were killed by their former intimate partner in 2015.
The jury made 86 recommendations, the first of which was for the Ontario government to formally declare intimate partner violence an epidemic.
Staff from the Amelia Rising Sexual Violence Support Centre sit on the committee and will be presenting to local councils.
"We believe this is an overdue and necessary step,” said Natalie Austin, the centre's sexual violence prevention education coordinator, in a statement to CTV News.
"Support from local governments is crucial and desperately needed in addressing (intimate partner violence), especially with the province recently declining to declare it an epidemic."
More than 35 municipalities across the province have declared the issue an epidemic, including the Town of Mattawa.
For more information on the Violence Against Women Coordinating Committee of Nipissing, visit their Facebook page.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6963102.1720902788!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
BREAKING Richard Simmons, fitness personality and TV host, dead at 76, per reports
Richard Simmons, the perennial 1980s workout personality who was defined by his uplifting spirit, died in his Los Angeles home, according to multiple reports. He was 76.
'Surreal 24 hours': What A-list guests think of Indian billionaire's wedding
Anant Ambani, the youngest son of Asia's richest man, ties the knot this weekend with longtime girlfriend Radhika Merchant at a Mumbai wedding dubbed the ceremony of the year – but what was it like to be one of the guests?
A Black man got a job interview after he changed the name on his resume. Now, he's suing for discrimination
A Black man has filed an employment discrimination lawsuit against a hotel in Detroit, Mich., alleging the hotel only offered him a job interview after he changed the name on his resume, according to a copy of the lawsuit obtained by CNN.
Former B.C. Realtor has licence cancelled, $130K in penalties for role in mortgage fraud
The provincial regulator responsible for policing B.C.'s real estate industry has ordered a former Realtor to pay $130,000 and cancelled her licence after determining that she committed a variety of professional misconduct.
Ontario driver has licence suspended for 13-year-old traffic ticket
An Ontario driver was shocked to get a letter in the mail saying her licence had been suspended over a traffic ticket she received 13 years ago.
Should you wait to buy or sell your home?
The Bank of Canada is expected to announce its key interest rate decision in less than two weeks. Last month, the bank lowered its key interest rate to 4.7 per cent, marking its first rate cut since March 2020.
Dr. Ruth Westheimer, America’s pioneering sex therapist, dies at 96
Dr. Ruth Westheimer, the diminutive sex therapist who became a pop icon, media star and best-selling author through her frank talk about once-taboo bedroom topics, has died. She was 96.
Kate, Princess of Wales to make rare public appearance at Wimbledon Sunday
The Princess of Wales is set to attend the Wimbledon men's final on Sunday in a rare public appearance after her cancer diagnosis.
Tips for staying safe against blue-green algae this summer
With temperatures rising for the oncoming summer, many shutdowns due to the toxic blue-green algae has made for a tough time finding a safe spot to swim in the region – with one of the most recent shutdowns at Cunard Pond Beach in Halifax.