Category Archives: Violence against women

05.16.26
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The City of St. Thomas is seeking ‘visionary and innovative proposals’ for the former Wellington Street School

September 17, 2012, proved an exciting day in the life of St. Thomas, as students returned to Wellington Street School for the first time in several years.

The former Thames Valley District School Board facility, purchased by the city in 2011 to provide parking spaces for the new consolidated courthouse, was being revitalized as the St. Thomas campus of Algoma University.

“This is a great day for Algoma University, and it’s also a great day for St. Thomas and Elgin County,” enthused Algoma president Richard Myers.

“You’ve made my St. Thomas a richer place today, and it’s a richer place for all of us,” added Andrew Gunn, trustee for the estate of Dorothy Palmer, which contributed more than $1 million to the refurbishment of the heritage school.

Fast forward 20 months, and the headline of that day was being put to the test.

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04.25.26
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St. Thomas relaunches program designed to assist low-to moderate-income households purchase their first home

After a hiatus of nearly six years, the City of St. Thomas is reviving the St. Thomas-Elgin Affordable Homeownership Program (AHP), originally launched in 2007.

The AHP was designed to assist low-to moderate-income households in purchasing their first home.

This AHP was originally funded as a one-time allocation under the Canada-Ontario Affordable Housing Program.

It is worth noting that since its inception, 46 households have successfully achieved homeownership through the initiative.

So, how does the program operate?

In her report to council at the April 20 meeting, Ellen Hickey, Supervisor of Housing Stability Services, explained, “AHP provides down payment assistance in the form of an interest-free, forgivable loan over a 20-year period to help eligible St Thomas-Elgin households transition from renting to home ownership.

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03.07.26
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Provincial funding allows St. Thomas Police, in partnership with Changing Ways, to challenge the roots of gender-based violence

Rarely does a day go by that the St. Thomas Police Service media release does not contain at least one reference to domestic violence or intimate partner violence incidents. And the cases are increasing in frequency.

This led to the police service pursuing provincial funding to establish programs to not only assist victims of these crimes, but also to attend to those committing violent acts to avoid repeat occurrences.

Last month, the St. Thomas Police Service received $341,000 in provincial funding to support early intervention efforts to reduce intimate partner violence. The funds will also strengthen victim safety within the community.

The grant is courtesy of the Ontario Ministry of the Solicitor General’s Victim Support Grant Program.

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01.18.25
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An increased response from St. Thomas Police to a rise in intimate partner violence incidents and charges

Unsettling news this week from the St. Thomas Police Service related to intimate partner violence (IPV).
Police are seeing a steady increase in both incidents and charges laid over the past three years.
In 2022, there were 683 incidents with 114 resulting in charges.
Last year, the number of incidents had risen to 761 with 157 resulting in charges.
For incidents, that is an 11.4 per cent increase since 2022 and a 37.7 per cent increase in the number of charges laid.
As noted in a media release this week, “To meet this challenge, the St. Thomas Police Service deploys highly trained officers and support staff specializing in IPV investigations.
“Our coordinated approach is led by the Community Patrol Division and Investigative Services Unit and a collaboration with multi-sectoral professionals, like Victim Services Elgin.
“The importance of this work was formally recognized in the 2023-26 Strategic Plan, which identifies domestic violence and violence against women as key priorities for our service.”

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04.27.24
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‘I am getting so tired of losing women and children because nobody is listening’ – Jodi Marissen, whose letter moved St. Thomas city council to action

city_scope_logo-cmyk“I actually was recording it and you can audibly hear me at the end of it, after they voted unanimously I was definitely overwhelmed with emotion.”
That was the reaction of Jodi Marissen when at the April 15 meeting, members of St. Thomas city council unanimously endorsed a motion declaring intimate partner violence to be an epidemic in the city.
That motions was based on a letter sent to council by Marissen – and supported by similar correspondence from St. Thomas Police Chief Marc Roskamp – urging council to take that step on behalf “of all the vulnerable women and children of the City of St. Thomas . . . on behalf of the abused women and children of the City of St. Thomas . . . on behalf of the women and children of the City of St. Thomas who have died at the hands of their abusers.”

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04.13.24
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A sunny start to the regional transit pilot program serving St. Thomas

city_scope_logo-cmykThe sun was shining on Monday’s (April 8) launch of the new regional transit service linking St. Thomas with London and Dorchester.
But ironically, it was the brief blocking of the sun in the afternoon that resulted in a busier than anticipated first day of operation.
St. Thomas Mayor Joe Preston was aboard the early morning bus to Dorchester and remained aboard for the return trip which offered a pleasant surprise.
“It was quite surprising to find 20 people standing at the White Oaks Mall bus stop to come to St. Thomas.
“A number of people coming out here to see the eclipse today thought a $5 bus ride was the way to do it.”

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07.30.22
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‘Protecting victims takes precedence over protecting hockey players and government officials’ – EML MP Karen Vecchio

city_scope_logo-cmykAs the calls for Hockey Canada to be held accountable regarding their handling of a growing number of sexual assault allegations escalate, one local MP says it is time to reform the culture within not only that organization but within the Ministry of Sport.
The latter is the domain of MP Pascale St-Onge.
And, the Conservative Shadow Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth this week was one of three MPs who issued a statement on the pair of emergency committee hearings into those allegations.
That would be Elgin-Middlesex-London MP, Karen Vecchio.
In the statement, the trio asserts, “The hearings at the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage into Hockey Canada’s involvement in allegations of sexual assault have heard the testimony of a secretive and unaccountable organization where allegations of sexual assault have been covered up.

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02.22.20
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With our beautiful consolidated courthouse comes ‘a substantial hit to our operating budget every year’

city_scope_logo-cmykThe city’s portion of the cost of providing court security and prisoner transfer (CSPT) has been steadily increasing since it first received money from the province beginning in 2012.
That year, the province contributed $75,224.
The net budgeted costs to provide the service this year is just over $1 million, with the province providing the city with a grant of $713,000 to offset the expense. That works out to just under 70 per cent of the total cost, down from 74 per cent last year and 83 per cent in 2018.
That diminishing financial support was the topic of discussion at a council meeting earlier this month when members unanimously supported a motion to craft a letter to both the Association of Municipalities of Ontario and MPP Jeff Yurek outlining concerns on the mounting court security costs and to seek their assistance in having the province review this matter.

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06.15.19
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Crossing that bridge to affordable housing in St. Thomas

city_scope_logo-cmykIt’s one of those unperceived neighbourhoods in St. Thomas . . . life beyond the hump of the Barwick Street bridge.
The residents, who enjoy a tranquil setting west of the railway track, may soon be joined by a couple hundred new neighbours if the city approves a proposed subdivision in the Hill and Barwick streets enclave.
The Ostojic Group of St. Thomas is proposing a 75-lot subdivision west of Hill Street with Nick and Joe Ostojic making their pitch to council this Monday (June 17).
It’s not the first time the Ostojics have sought to develop the open field nestled between the St. Thomas bypass and Kettle Creek.
The stumbling block in the past has been the restricted access across the wooden bridge that spans the CN line to London.

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