Violence against women increases across Simcoe Muskoka
Flags at Barrie City Hall flew at half-mast on Tuesday to mark the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.
December 6 marks one of Canada's most horrific tragedies after a gunman motivated by his hatred of feminists killed 14 female students and injured 13 others at Montreal's École Polytechnique in 1989.
The pain of that day continues to linger across the country, including in communities across central Ontario.
"This is a very important day. It's a sad day," said Teresa Maclennan, executive director at the Barrie Women and Children Shelter.
Thirty-three years later, Maclennan says violence against women and girls in Barrie is rising, especially during the pandemic.
"Because women were isolating at home with their abuser," she explained. "We heard more and more women say, 'He's going to kill me."
And it's not just Barrie noting an increase in violence toward women.
Hannah Lin, executive director of the YWCA Muskoka, says dozens of women were killed in Ontario this year alone, with 17 per cent from rural areas.
"Fifty-two lives lost in 52 weeks. That's too many," said Lin. "There may be fewer housing options available to them. Some of the rural communities are less resourced, so there's less access to support services."
Advocates say those challenges need to be addressed, along with education.
"When you educate people on a) what is abuse, what does that look like, it makes people more aware of the situations they might be in where they might have deemed it as normal until it's not," said Amanda Wagner, with Huronia Transition Homes.
For Brenda Sedgwick, a psychotherapist and victim of abuse, remembering the lives lost more than three decades ago in Montreal brings mixed emotions.
"For me, it is particularly formative to understand that you're not alone and that other people do experience this," she said.
Candlelight vigils honouring the women who lost their lives will be held in communities across the region tonight, including in Huntsville, Midland and Barrie.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Suspect sought after fatal slashing in downtown Toronto
Police are searching for a suspect in a homicide investigation after a man was slashed in downtown Toronto on Sunday.
Edibles, armchairs and adapters: Here are the recalls for this week
Health Canada announced various product recalls this week, including electric adapters, armchairs, cannabis edibles and vehicle components.
Putin replaces Russian defence minister in rare cabinet shakeup
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin began a Cabinet shakeup on Sunday, proposing the replacement of Sergei Shoigu as defence minister as he begins his fifth term in office.
Wildfire near Fort McMurray more than triples overnight, several evacuation alerts remain in place
The fire burning near Fort McMurray grew from 25 hectares to 5,500 hectares over the weekend.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
Mother's Day movies that pull at ALL the heartstrings
This Mother's Day Weekend, take a look at some of the most emotional movies inspired by moms.
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
WATCH Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.