With concerns of a rise in domestic violence during these times of COVID, reminders from North Coast Transition Society on the services available in Prince Rupert and area

The local agency which provides supports, housing and a range of services for those who are vulnerable in the community has called attention to concerns over the risk of domestic violence, or the threat of it in these unsettled times.

With the North Coast Transition Society addressing that theme in a recent social media message through their Facebook page.

As they note in their post from last week, the first call for any urgent situation should always be 9-1-1 to ensure that immediate response is received by those in need.

The Society then follows up that advisory with a review of information related to the services that are offered through their services which you can explore below:

Concerns for the rise of domestic violence were noted by Vancouver area shelter operators earlier in April, as they highlighted the additional challenges that the COVID situation was placing on their services.

The issue was also mentioned as part of one of the daily COVID-19 updates in April, from Public Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix.

As part of the April 25th Provincial update, Doctor Henry spoke to the concerns :


"I also from the outset, have spoken about the importance of keeping safe physical distance from others and staying home when ill. These are the best and the most important things we can do to bend the COVID-19 curve. 

But in many cases this has led to increased family stresses and decreased community connections. And unfortunately, for some being at home means not being safe. We know that domestic violence, intimate partner violence and inter family violence can sometimes increase during crises such as this one. 

If you are experiencing violence, it's not OK, and we want you to know that you are not alone, there are resources that are out here that we have that are available for you.

If you are in immediate danger, call 911 and get the help you need. 

You can also call victim-link BC, it's a toll free confidential and multi-lingual telephone service that is available across British Columbia 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Trained support teams can give you the information and refer you to services that you may need.

Your immediate safety is  more important that personal distancing, or self isolation.

And that is important for people to recognize, there is help out there for you and we can connect yo to the supports you need" --  BC Public Health Officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, April 25, 2020

Victim-Link can be reached  at 1-800-563-0808 or by email VictimlinkBC@BC211.ca

More on VictimLink BC can be found here.

For more background information on what services are available on the North Coast, see the North Coast Transition Society website and Facebook page.