That the following recommendations from the Community and Health Services Committee be approved:
- That the Regional Municipality of Waterloo take the following actions with regard to Year 5 (2023/24) and 6 (2024/25) of the Canada-Ontario Community Housing Initiative (COCHI) and the Ontario Priorities Housing Initiative (OPHI), as outlined in report CSD-HOU-23-025 dated September 12, 2023:
- Approve the recommended Year 5 and 6 Investment Plan for submission to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing;
- Authorize the Commissioner, Community Services Department to execute such agreements and documentation in a form satisfactory to the Regional Solicitor, as may be required to process the advance of funding for these programs;
- Authorize either the Assistant Director or Director, Housing Services, to execute and deliver all other documentation required by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing and the Region of Waterloo to allocate funding from COCHI and OPHI;
- Approve 2 new full time equivalent (FTE) positions as detailed in Report CSD-HOU-23-025 dated September 12, 2023 to be fully funded from COCHI and OPHI funding; and
- Request the provincial government allocate additional Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit funding dedicated towards households experiencing homelessness in Waterloo region.
- That the Regional Municipality of Waterloo approve the Paramedic Services 2024 pre-budget request for service enhancements effective January 1, 2024 as set out in report PHP-PSV-23-006 dated September 12, 2023.
-
That The Regional Municipality of Waterloo amend the Code of Use Bylaw (#13-050) in accordance with Appendix A to prohibit harassing / discriminatory behaviour on Regional premises, pursuant to Report CAO-EDI-23-003, dated September 12, 2023;
And that the Regional Municipality of Waterloo amend the proposed by-law to include socio-economic and housing status.
-
WHEREAS intimate partner violence, often referred to as domestic violence, means any use of physical or sexual force, actual or threatened in an intimate relationship, including emotional and/or psychological abuse or harassing behaviour. Persons of any gender or sex can be victims of intimate partner violence; AND
WHEREAS on the morning of September 22, 2015, Carol Culleton, Anastasia Kuzyk and Nathalie Warmerdam were murdered by a former intimate partner; AND
WHEREAS on June 28, 2022, the jury in a Coroner’s Inquest held on these deaths (hereinafter referred to as the CKW Inquest), delivered 86 recommendations; AND
WHEREAS every six days in Canada a woman is killed by her intimate partner; AND
WHEREAS in Ontario in 2022, 52 women, or one every week, were victims of femicide; AND
WHEREAS in Ontario in 2023, year-to-date, 30 women in 30 weeks were the victim of femicide; AND
WHEREAS the prevalence of intimate partner violence in Waterloo Region has continued to increase steadily over the last decade with the Waterloo Regional Police Service:
• Attending more than 66,000 calls for service, or an average of 6,600 per year and over 17 per day
• Laying more than 35,000 charges, or an average of over 3500 per year
• Investigating the homicide, attempt homicide and manslaughter of 24 people by an intimate partner; AND
WHEREAS, on any given night in Canada, 6000 women and children sleep in shelters because it is not safe for them at home; AND
WHEREAS racialized women and Indigenous women experience disproportionately high rates of intimate partner violence, AND
WHEREAS Indigenous women are approximately 3.5 times more likely to experience some form of intimate partner violence than non-Indigenous women, and the homicide rate for Indigenous women and girls is approximately 6 times higher than for non-Indigenous women and girls, and Indigenous women are 12 times more likely to be murdered or missing than any other women in Canada and 16 times more likely than white women; AND
WHEREAS violence against women costs the justice system, health care systems, social services agencies and municipalities billions of dollars per year, and municipalities are on the front lines in addressing gender-based violence; AND
WHEREAS Lanark County, the City of Ottawa, the Region of Durham, Burlington City Council, the Region of Peel, the City of Toronto and numerous other municipal councils, have passed motions declaring intimate partner violence an epidemic and acknowledging the 86 recommendations made by the CKW jury; AND
WHEREAS Indigenous women and girls are 12 times more likely to be missing or murdered when compared to other women in Canada, and that number is 16 times when compared only with White women; AND
WHEREAS the homicide rate for Indigenous community members was seven times higher than their non-Indigenous counterparts.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED:
THAT Waterloo Regional Council:
Recognizes the issues of violence against women and girls in Waterloo Region as serious to the health and wellness of our residents and their families, AND
Is committed to engaging with community partners to educate and support our residents about the seriousness and long-term danger of violence in our community; AND
THAT Waterloo Regional Council declares that intimate partner violence and violence against women is an epidemic, in accordance with Recommendation #1 of the CKW Inquest; AND
THAT the Province of Ontario be requested to declare that intimate partner violence and violence against women is an epidemic, in accordance with Recommendation #1 of the CKW Inquest; AND
THAT Waterloo Regional Council agrees to integrate intimate partner violence into the Region’s Community Safety and Wellbeing Plan, in accordance with Recommendation #10 of the CKW Inquest, and set out gender-based violence/intimate partner violence as a separate priority within the plan, AND
THAT Waterloo Regional Council declares that Intimate Partner Violence and Violence Against Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA is an epidemic, AND
THAT the Province of Ontario be requested to declare, that Intimate Partner Violence and Violence against Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA is an epidemic, AND
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT this resolution will be circulated to The Honourable Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario, The Honourable Charmaine A. Williams, Associate Minister of Women’s Social and Economic Opportunity, The Honourable Parm Gill, Minister of Red Tape Reduction, Members of Parliament and Members of Provincial Parliament representing Waterloo Region, all the cities and townships in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, the Waterloo Region Police Services Board, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario and the Ontario Big City Mayors.