Women’s group calls out ‘troubling silence’ of N.S. government on domestic violence

HALIFAX — The executive director of a Nova Scotia women’s group gave an emotional speech on Thursday, urging the provincial government to show more leadership in the fight against domestic violence, after six women were killed in three months by their male partners.

Nova Scotia’s government has maintained a “troubling silence” since October, when the first of six women was killed, Ann de Ste Croix, executive director of the Transition House Association of Nova Scotia, told reporters in the Halifax area.

“The silence is unacceptable and perpetuates further harm. Despite these devastating events, there has been no clear direction from the government on how affected families and communities can access the services and support they desperately need,” de Ste Croix said.

She said her group wants “immediate action and leadership” from the government of Premier Tim Houston, adding that women in Nova Scotia need “assurance that their safety is your priority.”

De Ste Croix called on the premier to meet with her group to discuss ways the province can address the issue. She said the government must provide a sustainable level of funding for women’s shelters, longer-term housing for people fleeing domestic abuse, and programs for men at risk of being violent toward their partners.

Since October six women in the province have been killed by their male partners, five of whom killed themselves shortly after. One of those homicides occurred on New Year’s Eve, when a woman and her father were shot and killed by her male partner in a car in downtown Halifax. The woman’s partner killed himself shortly after, police said.

In September, the Nova Scotia government declared intimate partner violence an “epidemic.” The declaration was one of the recommendations of the public inquiry into the April 2020 mass shooting that claimed the lives of 22 people. The killing spree began after the gunman brutally assaulted his spouse in Portapique, N.S.

In her speech on Thursday, de Ste Croix said the province needs “epidemic-level” funding to address intimate-partner violence in Nova Scotia. As well, Houston must encourage men and community leaders to speak out on the issue, she said. “It’s a whole-of-society approach that’s required to address the epidemic we’re seeing here in the province.”

On Tuesday, members of the transition house association and other women’s groups met with Justice Minister Becky Druhan and Leah Martin, minister responsible for the Advisory Council on the Status of Women Act. De Ste Croix said Houston has not formally responded about whether he, too, will meet with them.

Following a cabinet meeting Thursday, Houston said that he would attend meetings in the future “for sure.”

“I don’t shy away from interacting with Nova Scotians and certainly not on sensitive issues like this.”

He told reporters the province has “experienced a lot of tragedy in the last little while and all of our hearts are heavy for sure.”

“The tragedies are unacceptable and we all feel them. Across government we work with organizations and the simple goal is that as a society we do better and we all have a role to play in that.”

Druhan described Tuesday’s meeting as “very productive,” adding they focused on ways the women’s groups and government can better communicate and collaborate. More funding will be part of future talks, she said.

“Last year we increased our core funding for our transition houses because we know that not only do they need funding but they need reliable, consistent funding that can help them with their programming,” she said, adding that intimate partner violence is a problem that is “entrenched” in society.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 16, 2025.

— With files from Keith Doucette

Cassidy McMackon, The Canadian Press