WHEREAS the jury that adjudicated the Carol Culleton, Anastasia Kuzyk and Nathalie Warmerdam Inquest (The Renfrew Inquest) issued 86 recommendations to the Province of Ontario on Intimate Partner Violence;
WHEREAS recommendation #1 of the Inquest is for the Province of Ontario to declare Intimate Partner Violence an epidemic;
WHEREAS every six days in Canada a woman is killed by her intimate partner;
WHEREAS on any given night in Canada, over 6,000 women and children sleep in shelters because it is not safe for them at home;
WHEREAS this past year in Ontario, 52 women or one every week, were victims of femicide;
WHEREAS in Halton in 2022 there were 3,503 Intimate Partner Violence calls made to Halton Regional Police and there were 2,342 calls to the Women’s Shelter Crisis/Helpline calls;
WHEREAS Halton Women’s Place receives 2,500 calls annually to its crisis information and support line, supports 400-600 women through their various outreach services and sees 140 women and children through their safe shelter every year;
Whereas Sexual Assault and Violence Intervention Services of Halton ( SAVIS) received over 900 calls on its crisis information and support line, provided counselling services for 872 survivors and services for 64 human trafficking survivors in its most recent fiscal year;
WHEREAS 93% of the CAS domestic violence-related intake cases involve a girl/woman as the primary participant;
WHEREAS the waitlist for counselling can be difficult to access;
WHEREAS violence against women costs the national justice system, health care systems, social service agencies, and municipalities billions of dollars per year; and municipalities are on the front lines in addressing gender-based violence; and
WHEREAS the Town of Oakville Council recognizes that issues of violence against women in all communities are of local importance to the health and wellness of our residents;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: THAT the Town of Oakville Council:
- recognizes the issues of violence against women and girls in Halton as serious to the health and wellness of local families; and
- is committed to engaging with community partners to educate and support our residents about the seriousness and long-term danger of violence in our community; and
THAT the Town of Oakville Council declares, in accordance with Recommendation #1 of the Renfrew Inquest, that Intimate Partner Violence and Violence Against Women are epidemic; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT this resolution be circulated to The Honourable Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario, The Honourable Charmaine A. Williams, Associate Minister of Women's Social and Economic Opportunity, The Honourable Parm Gill, Minister of Red Tape Reduction, Halton MPP’s, Halton Regional Police Service, Halton Regional Police Board, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, and the Ontario’s Big City Mayors.