Wawa Municipal Council's declared intimate partner violence and violence against women an epidemic.
Council passed a resolution making the declaration last night, after receiving a delegation from CHADWIC Home Executive Director Paula Valois, who noted it was a recommendation of an inquest into a 2015 triple murder in Renfew, in which all three women killed had a prior relationship with their killer.
Valois also cited figures from Superior East Ontario Provincial Police, who reported that - in 2021 - they had 105 domestic calls for service in Wawa, with 27 resulting in charges and eight deemed "insufficient evidence to proceed", though Valois noted not every domestic call is intimate partner violence, but also "most" intimate partner violence is not reported.
Valois says her main request of Council was to pass such a resolution, declaring intimate partner violence is an epidemic.
Deputy Mayor Mitch Hatfield - who chaired last night's meeting - says the resolution was "well needed".