Haven Society responds to need
Half of all Canadian women have experienced at least one incident of physical or sexual violence since the age of 16 and every year in Canada, up to 360,000 children are exposed to domestic violence. 58,486 women and 36,840 children sought refuge in one of 473 shelters across Canada between April 1, 2003 and March 31, 2004.
Haven House, a transitional house in Nanaimo for women fleeing abuse, sees 400-500 women annually, with another 2,000 women and children in programs offered by the society. The organization has launched a capital building campaign to raise $1 million toward the construction of a new community services building.
We’re joined in the studio by Jane Templeman, the campaign chairperson, and by Tracy Myers, coordinator of a program offered by Haven Society for children who witness abuse. We also speak with former NDP Member of Parliament Margaret Mitchell, who was met with laughter and shouts in the House of Commons when she raised the issue of domestic violence in the 1970s. Margaret Mitchell is the author of No Laughing Matter.