Ontario's next government must address 'pain and injustice' of intimate partner violence, say Hamilton groups

Even when a one-of-a-kind program is supporting over 100 rural women experiencing intimate partner violence, it's still hard to find the money to keep it running, says the head of Hamilton's Interval House.

Interval executive director Sue Taylor said she's looking for real action from whichever party wins the provincial election next week, with more permanent funding for programs that address an alarming rate of domestic violence, especially in areas overlooked like rural communities. 

"We need leadership from our government," said Taylor. 

"The City of Hamilton has declared intimate partner violence an epidemic. I look forward to Ontario doing the same." 

The province has yet to declare intimate partner violence an epidemic, despite a push by the Ontario NDP and dozens of municipalities.

Ontario NDP leader Marit Stiles said declaring intimate partner violence an epidemic would mean treating it as a public health crisis and devoting resources to fighting it. The Ontario NDP put forward Bill 173 last year, requiring the government to declare an epidemic, but a motion to pass it was struck down. 

Instead, the Progressive Conservative government announced it would study the issue first. That committee's work was cut short in December amid speculation an election would soon be called, which it was.

It was also the top recommendation of a corner's inquest a couple of years ago into the 2015 deaths of three women in Renfrew County — a mostly rural area outside Ottawa.

Taylor said Interval House's recent experiences trying to offer services to vulnerable women and their children in rural areas demonstrates the challenges providers continue to face and why the province needs to step up. 

Rural areas under serviced

While Interval House provides emergency shelter and supports within the city for women and their children experiencing abuse or violence, historically there have been no similar in-person programs for women living within most of Hamilton's tens of thousands of rural acres, said Taylor. 

The exception is Interval House's Flamborough Women's Resource Centre, said Judi Partridge, who co-founded the satellite location in 2005. 

"Intimate partner violence knows no scale of economy," said the former Hamilton city councillor. 

"You've got women who are living in beautiful homes and yet they're only allowed to go out for an hour to do their shopping, they're given a certain amount of money and if they don't come back, they're living under constant threats like, 'you'll never see your children again.'"

Rural women experience gender-based violence at a rate 75 per cent higher than urban women and five times higher than rural men, says recent national data compiled by Western University. 

Feeling "deeply concerned" for the safety of women living in Hamilton's other rural communities, Taylor said Interval House cobbled together temporary funding from the city, province and a charity to launch the Women's Education and Rural Support (WARES) program a year ago. 

Through WARES, two workers meet with women in discreet locations like libraries, food banks and recreation centres to build up their self esteem, offer support and develop safety plans.

One year in and WARES has already met with 100 women experiencing initiate partner violence in the rural areas of Upper Stoney Creek, Glancaster, Binbrook, Dundas, Ancaster and Winona, Taylor said. 

Some of the funding was temporary, said Taylor, and she hasn't been able to find a replacement yet, meaning worker hours have to be reduced. 

"Where is it justifiable that their services are diminished to practically nothing?" Taylor said. 

NDP will declare epidemic if elected

Advocates have counted 48 femicides in rural Ontario in the last five years, including two in Elgin County, outside London, in 2024. 

Tanya Wiebe, 38, was killed by her partner who police said later took his own life. Victoria Dill, 40, was found with a gunshot wound at a property with an active house fire and died in hospital. Two men are awaiting trial for second-degree murder and arson charges. 

CBC Hamilton reached to the four major political parties about what they'll do to address domestic abuse if elected. Only the PCs and NDP responded. 

The PCs say it has invested $1.4 billion annually to address and prevent gender-based violence, as well as $247 million to fund emergency shelters, counselling, 24-hour crisis lines, safety planning and transitional housing. 

"We will continue to support our law enforcement to protect women and support victims," said the party in a statement. 

The NDP said it has has led the fight to declare intimate partner violence an epidemic numerous times, but has been voted down by the PCs. If elected, Stiles will ensure it's declared an epidemic, address court backlogs for criminal charges related to intimate partner violence and increase transparency and accountability into how sexual assault investigations are handled, the party said. 

At a Hamilton Centre candidates debate on Tuesday, Green and Liberal candidates also said their parties support expanding services for women experiencing gender-based and sexual violence.

Intimate partner violence is a widespread problem within urban areas, as well as rural, and resources remain scarce there, too, even with additional provincial funding announced, said Hamilton advocates with the Women Abuse Working Group (WAWG) and city staff. 

"We strongly agree that the current funding is not sufficient to meet the growing challenges in our community, especially as it relates to the lack of shelter space and gaps in rural support services," Rachelle Ihekwoaba, a community strategies manager with the city, told councillors earlier this month. 

She noted the province has called for proposals for up to $5 million to address intimate partner violence and is hoping to hear soon if local organizations will receive it. 

There's a six-month wait for counselling services in Hamilton and women's shelters are often full, said Thea Symonds, with WAWG. In 2023, for example, 5,644 requests for shelter from women experiencing violence were turned down because of the bed shortage. 

"These statistics alone tell a story of pain and injustice and are deeply rooted in inequalities we can't ignore," Symonds said. 

If you're in immediate danger or fear for your safety or that of others around you, please call 911. If you're affected by family or intimate partner violence, you can look for help through crisis lines and local support services. ​​