A rally held today at Roberta Bondar Pavilion brought awareness to the growing problem of intimate partner violence in Sault Ste. Marie.
The Voices Against Violence rally was held at noon on Monday in several cities and towns across Canada. At the Sault Ste. Marie rally, Renee Buczel was remembering her best friend, Angie Sweeney, who was killed by her partner Bobbie Hallaert on Oct. 23, 2023.
Buczel, the co-founder of Angie’s Angels, said more needs to be done to prevent intimate partner violence.
“We really need to continue to use our voices and take a stand to push for change,” she said in an interview with SooToday. “We keep talking about it and nothing is happening.
"We need to put some pressure on the government to bring about change.”
Angie’s Angels have advocated to both the provincial and federal governments.
“If the province passes Bill 173, it would declare intimate partner violence an epidemic,” she said.
“We need tougher laws when it comes to bail. We’re seeing repeat offenders,” Buczel said.
Angie’s father, Brian Sweeney Sr., spoke at the rally. In an interview, he said education is an important part of reducing the instances of intimate partner violence.
“The stats are unbelievable and it’s getting worse before it gets better. The more we speak out, the better results we’re going to get.”
Sweeney believes mental health issues are causing much of the domestic violence in the Sault.
“People aren’t getting the help they need to deal with their mental health issues. Everybody coming out of COVID, it kind of changed people. People were stuck together. It could be part of the problem.”
He said people need to be aware of the warning signs that show up when intimate partner violence is occurring.
“The biggest thing is you’ve got to pay attention to the red flags. If you keep brushing them off and ignoring them, eventually it turns into the scenario that we’ve dealt with.”
Connie Raynor Elliott, president and founder of Save Our Young Adults, attended the rally because intimate partner violence impacts everyone.
SOYA assists individuals dealing with substance use issues by offering free personal hygiene, a food bank, and assistance filling out forms to get on the housing list, among other services. They also offer referrals to organizations in the city that can help.
“We run the depot on Gore Street and see a lot of things everyday . . . people need to know how to find services. Shelters are filled. People need safe places to go. We do a lot to build trust with the community, to get out there and let them know they’re going to be safe.”
Monday's rally was organized by Angie's Angels and Caitlin's Heard.