“We need to work together”: Fort to Ford

Voices across the province are being heard.

In a move that surprised opposition leaders, the provincial government expressed its support for Bill 173 – the Intimate Partner Violence Epidemic Act – at Queen’s Park on April 10.

Premier Doug Ford spoke to reporters after the bill was tabled and confirmed the provincial government is fully supportive of the motion, while noting the bill itself is still under review.

“We put it to the justice committee. It’s one thing to pass the bill, it’s another thing to put teeth into it, and sit down – because it’s a very serious situation we’re facing in Ontario,” Ford said.

And the situation is serious – around 90 communities in Ontario have declared intimate partner violence an epidemic, including Thunder Bay.

Looking out to the Superior North region, Hornepayne’s Mayor Cheryl Fort said the Algoma Council on Domestic Violence reached out to her in March to ask if she could draft a letter to Premier Ford urging him and the provincial government to officially declare a province-wide epidemic.

The Township of Hornepayne declared intimate partner violence an epidemic in early December.

Speaking to Dougall Media, Fort said she didn’t hesitate when asked to write the letter.

“It’s close to my heart because I see the discrepancies, even within health and having access to safe places. It shouldn’t matter if we live in Northern Ontario or not,” she said.

Fort also gave a shout-out to Chadwic Home in Wawa for the services it provides to survivors and those in-crisis.

“They come into our community once a month and host a lunch for women to gather. Usually, they have a speaker – I’ve been able to attend on occasion and have actually been their speaker in the past. That makes the connection, showing the services that are available,” she said.

When Dougall Media spoke to Dawn Chabonneau – a front-line crisis worker at Chadwic Home – in October, she said the need for shelter services had grown to unprecedented levels.

“Any shelter you speak to will tell you that the needs have increased dramatically. The volume of shelter access and requests have increased dramatically . . . we’re really seeing a massive increase,” Charbonneau said.

Fort reiterated her gratitude for Chadwic Home but also observed the distance is daunting for many in her community, considering Wawa is just under 200 kilometres away from Hornepayne.

She also pointed out that the nearest shelter for men to access is over 400 kilometres away.

“It makes it quite difficult. When you’re looking at it from my perspective as a small town mayor, my lived experience of this is that, if someone is in this situation, how do they get themselves out of it in a safe manner?

“You have to have a contact, you have to set up transportation, you have to know when it’s safe to leave – and then, within these situations too depending on the severity, their emails, phone calls, conversations, all of those things can be tracked as well . . . it can be overwhelming for someone. When someone is already struggling in a traumatic situation or event and then has to navigate all these other things to get the help that they need, it’s overwhelming,” she said.

“If you live in a city and there’s a shelter right there, you can decide, ‘tomorrow morning at 9 o’clock, I’m leaving.' You could take a local bus, whereas for people that are in this situation in our community it’s not that easy,” she said.

In terms of her response to Bill 173, Fort said identifying and naming the problem are just the beginning.

“That’s a first step – saying, ‘this is a problem, this is happening, this is a challenge for municipalities across the province, now let’s work together’… I’m happy the steps are being taken but we need to work together to solve this problem for our province – especially for Northern Ontario,” she said.

If you or someone you know is in need of assistance regarding intimate partner violence, there are several agencies in the Superior North region that can help. Marjorie House in Marathon, Chadwic Home in Wawa, and Women In Crisis (Algoma) Inc. offer resources, referrals, and temporary shelter for survivors/women and children who have left or are leaving abusive situations.

Those in remote communities facing crisis can also access Amelia Rising/Fem’Aide and the Assaulted Women’s Helpline – available 24/7.

If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 9-1-1.

Austin Campbell, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, SNnewswatch.com