In the wake of convicted killer Colin Thatcher’s widely condemned appearance at throne speech ceremonies last week, the Saskatchewan NDP is renewing its calls for the province to begin providing operational funding to second stage shelters in Saskatchewan.
Only a few of jurisdictions, including Saskatchewan, do not subsidise the operations of second stage shelters, which provide long-term housing and programming for women and children trying to flee violent situations.
“Last week, the Saskatchewan Party administration declared it to be Violence Prevention Week. In a government news release, the minister of justice urged everyone to recognise the warning signs of violence and to speak out, Status of Women critic Jennifer Bowes said during Monday’s question period.
However, those government representatives sat inexplicably mute and shamefully unapologetic about allowing a convicted wife murderer onto the chamber floor.
What does that eerie stillness reveal about the Saskatchewan government’s dedication to ending domestic violence?
Saskatchewan had the greatest prevalence of intimate partner abuse of any Canadian province, with a rate of 724 victims per 100,000 population, according to a 2021 Statistics Canada report outlining 2019 data. The US average stood at 344.
In post-question period scrums, Saskatchewan NDP Leader Carla Beck said the lack of ongoing operational funding means that in addition to providing shelter services, organizations must actively fundraise, oftentimes with staffing limitations.
She claimed that because they need grant money in order to operate, their programmes are very fragile.
“If you can imagine, an executive director of a second stage shelter needs to manage staffing and programming in addition to fundraising to keep the doors open and the lights on. With funding, the programme would be stabilised and potentially more spots could become available.
” Second stage shelters in Saskatchewan include Sapohtewin House in La Ronge; the Prince Albert Safe Shelter for Women, Adelle House and Turning Points in Saskatoon; North East Outreach 2nd Stage Housing in Melfort and SOFIA House and Wichihik Iskwewak Safe House in Regina.
Second stage shelters lower the likelihood of future abuse, trauma, and femicide, according to a 2020 research of second stage shelter services by Women’s Shelters Canada.
The document urges “sustainable, core operational funding for all second stage shelters,” highlighting the fact that these facilities are a special type of transitional housing that offer a range of services, including knowledge of gender-based violence, survivor-centered programming, counselling, housing-related support, and safety planning.
According to the study, second stage shelters’ inability to offer all the essential programmes and supports to keep survivors safe and progressing toward independence has a major negative influence on their capacity to do so.
In Canada, a lot of second-stage shelters rely on donations to cover their expenses. Second stage shelters in Newfoundland and Labrador, Saskatchewan, and Ontario do not receive any sustainable provincial government funding.
Due to the fact that second stage shelters are only able to hire a certain number of employees, this has an especially negative effect on staffing. In general, more personnel are required, particularly specialist employees for child programming, legal assistance, and housing support.
In question period scrums, Premier Scott Moe said the government funds a portion of second stage shelters’ capital budget needs.
The CBOs providing second stage shelter services will be discussed, he assured them, “but we also need to make sure we have enough primary transitional space.”
Are there opportunities for us to lower the rates of interpersonal violence so that domestic abuse occurs less frequently in our communities? For us, as a government we need to have those discussions about how we can provide leadership in that respect.
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Questions from Bowes’ chamber were answered by Justice Minister Bronwyn Eyre.
We would definitely be interested in looking at second stage housing options. We have been actively having those conversations for several weeks and months now, she said.
In its most recent budget, the Saskatchewan government committed $24. 9 million in interpersonal violence supports including:.
Following Thatcher’s appearance, the Saskatchewan NDP calls for increased funding for shelters.
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