St. Marys council declares intimate partner violence an epidemic

St. Marys the fourth municipality in Perth County to make the declaration

By Galen Simmons

St. Marys council has formally declared intimate partner violence an epidemic in the community following a presentation from Optimism Place Women’s Shelter and Support Services.

At its Feb. 10 meeting, council voted in favour of the declaration after hearing from Optimism Place executive director Donna Jean Forster and board chair Nancy Preston, who outlined the scope and local impact of intimate partner violence (IPV) across Perth County and in St. Marys specifically.

“In the 31 days of December, five Ontario women were killed by their intimate partner or family member,” Forster said. “Every single day of the year, Perth County OPP and Stratford police receive two to three to four to five calls related to intimate partner violence. IPV negatively impacts our community’s sense of safety and wellbeing.”

A total of 107 municipalities across Ontario have already declared IPV an epidemic, with St. Marys becoming the 108th. Within Perth County, West Perth, the City of Stratford and North Perth have made similar declarations in recent years.

According to statistics shared with council, in 2024 alone, there were 994 reports of intimate partner violence in Perth County, resulting in 227 charges laid. Probation and parole services supervise an average of 115 clients each month who are on probation for domestic-violence charges.

Optimism Place reported that in 2024, 203 women and children accessed shelter services, with an additional 200 women accessing IPV-related support services without requiring residential shelter. Since 2022, 50 Perth County women have been assessed as high-risk for intimate partner homicide and have received wraparound safety supports from a collaborative group of community partners.

“You may recall on Feb. 12, 2020, Sydney Touzel was violently assaulted and stabbed by her ex-boyfriend outside of Little Falls Elementary School right here in St. Marys,” Forster told councillors. “Sydney has spent a long time healing from that. To commemorate the sixth anniversary of that event, Sydney is running from Little Falls to Optimism Place (on Saturday, Feb. 12) to raise awareness of IPV and also as a testimony to her strength and courage to rise and run after such a public experience of violence.”

Forster also highlighted the broader prevalence of intimate partner violence, noting that 44 per cent of women who have been in an intimate relationship report experiencing some form of psychological, physical or sexual abuse.

Beyond the statistics, Forster said IPV is a community-wide issue with significant social and economic costs, including impacts on safety, wellbeing and productivity. She emphasized that a formal declaration is not merely symbolic, but intended to serve as validation for survivors and as a call to action for sustained, coordinated community response.

St. Marys has previously committed to the Perth County Community Safety and Well-Being Plan, which identifies gender-based violence and intimate partner violence as key priorities. The declaration encourages residents to learn the signs of abuse, seek support when needed and participate in community education and awareness initiatives.

“Your numbers are extremely staggering,” Coun. Jim Craigmile said after Forster’s presentation to council. “I don’t have a good feel for it, but I bet the numbers that you’re talking about are only a percentage of what’s out there.”

“This is very near and dear to me because I had a very good friend many years ago who had an issue, and this brings back a lot of stuff for me,” Coun. Marg Luna added. “I do believe it is an epidemic and I know at our community policing advisory committee meetings, we have asked that we get numbers for intimate partner violence. It is in St. Marys for sure, as we know.”

Council’s unanimous vote signals formal recognition of intimate partner violence as a serious and ongoing issue in St. Marys, aligning the town with a growing number of municipalities across Ontario calling for systemic change and working collaboratively on community-level action to address it.

Forster said she and Preston will make similar presentations to Perth East and Perth South councils in hopes those municipalities will also endorse the declaration.