Niagara raises purple flags to mark Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women

Municipalities across the Niagara region gathered Tuesday to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

It’s a long-held tradition in the region but this year, it comes as police are seeing a spike in domestic violence calls — with more calls so far this year than in all of 2024.

The City of Welland hoisted a purple flag, marking the first of 16 days of action against gender-based violence.

Welland Mayor Frank Campion said the raising of the flag is symbolic of the work that lays ahead to combat the issue.

“That symbol leads to solutions and that’s what we’re trying to get to,” Campion said.

While purple flags are being raised across the country, Birchway Niagara spearheads the initiative in the region.

The women and children’s shelter says its 45 beds are always in demand.

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Amanda Braet, director of development and stewardship with Birchway Niagara, says the shelter’s needs are urgent.

“The need is very urgent,” Braet said. “Beyond our beds, we do have a support line that is free and confidential, and we receive on average seven calls a day.”

Birchway serves southern Niagara including Welland.

Police say the number of domestic violence calls they receive is up across the region — a 31 per cent jump to be exact, from 2019 to 2024.

So far this year, Niagara Regional Police Service responded to 6,669 calls compared to 6,600 in 2024.

Staff Sgt. Chris Lemaich said in Sept. 2023, Niagara Region along with 47 other municipalities in Ontario declared gender-based violence and intimate partner violence an epidemic.

“It’s obviously something that we take very seriously,” Lemaich said.

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The Niagara police domestic violence unit saw a funding increase in the last budget, which added a detective staff sergeant, three detective sergeants and more officers dedicated to both responding to calls and helping with prevention.

Advocacy groups say these 16 days of action are all about prevention through education.

Maxine Gaylor, the acting president with the Canadian Federation of University Women Welland, says a critical part of prevention lies in educating young boys and men to understand the issue.

“And to try and get our young boys to understand their actions and to be respectful of women,” Gaylor said.

The 16 days end on Dec. 10, which falls in line with International Human Rights Day.

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