Bradford is calling on the County of Simcoe and the provincial government to better support women fleeing abuse.
That comes as part of a motion from Ward 1 Coun. Cheraldean Duhaney that council approved during its March 18 meeting. It requests increased funding to expand emergency shelters, counselling services and legal assistance for women fleeing abuse; establishing more transitional and affordable housing for women leaving abusive situations; increased collaboration between support agencies, law enforcement and health-care providers; plus a designated fund to provide emergency financial relief for women fleeing abuse.
“There’s an urgent need for action, not just talking, but action from all levels of government to ensure women feel safe within the workplace or wherever they are,” Duhaney said.
The motion highlights that intimate partner violence (IPV) continues to disproportionately affect women, who are more likely to experience physical, emotional, and financial abuse, yet when attempting to leave those abusive situation, face barriers such as a lack of shelter space, limited mental-health support, and insufficient legal assistance.
In supporting the motion, Ward 4 Coun. Joseph Giordano suggested one of the biggest barriers for women trying to leave bad situations could be a lack of economic support.
“If you don’t have the financial means to survive, it makes it that much harder,” he said.
The motion also notes local shelters such as People In Transition (Alliston) Inc. — best known as My Sister’s Place — are operating at full capacity, leaving women few options to escape abusive situations.
My Sister’s Place operates a 12-bed shelter as well as six units of second-stage housing for victims of violence against women, both of which are usually full, based on a previous explanation from Cindy Curry, fundraising coordinator for the non-profit organization.
Deputy Mayor Raj Sandhu thanked Duhaney for bringing the motion forward and acknowledged that since the COVID-19 pandemic, health and social issues have risen and been brought to the forefront.
“This is so important that we need to do more ... throughout Canada,” he said.
Locally, Duhaney referenced reports from police showing calls related to IPV increase to 640 in 2024, compared to 506 in 2023.
Having previously worked as a police officer in Peel Region, Ward 6 Coun. Nickolas Harper recounted an instance when a woman declined an offer from officers to leave an abusive situation because she was unable to bring her children, deciding instead to stay with them.
“Two months later she was killed,” Harper said, emphasizing the need to accommodate dependants as well. “If there was that support for this woman and her children, she would still be alive.”
In the one year leading up to the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on Nov. 25, 2024, the Ontario Association of Interval and Transition Houses (OAITH) reports that 62 women and children in the province were victims of femicide — gender-based killing of a women, children, trans women, two-spirited persons, or gender non-conforming individuals where a man has been charged in relation to the death.
Mayor James Leduc said he supports the motion “100 per cent” and looked forward to seeing it gain traction at County of Simcoe council as well.
In addition to the county, the motion will be sent to the Women’s Social and Economic Opportunity minister, the Municipal Affairs and Housing minister, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario and York-Simcoe MPP Caroline Mulroney.
For those experiencing domestic or gender-based violence, My Sister’s Place offers front-line staff at their shelter who can be reached 24 hours a day via their hotline at 1-800-461-5419.