Gender-based violence: N.S. committee hears distressing testimony from mother of four

HALIFAX — A Nova Scotia legislative committee heard disturbing testimony Tuesday from a mother of four who described how her spouse allegedly subjected them to harassment while the police and courts seemed unable to help.

Lucy Bowser’s raw account of her family’s struggles were part of a wider discussion about gender-based violence. Several other advocates and government officials offered their take on what needs to be done to counter a problem that the province declared an epidemic last September.

“We have been left for years feeling helpless and scared,” Bowser told the health committee. “This is a ticking time bomb.”

She said her youngest children, ages 16 and 14, allegedly endured threats of kidnapping and harassment of every form, which left them traumatized. Her daughter did not leave their home for two years, and her son encouraged her to sleep with a crowbar in her bed for protection, she said.

Bowser also recalled how her children were so fearful of what would happen that they would send her texts to make sure she was still alive.

“They live on the edge of an impending emergency,” she told the committee.

When she approached police for help, she said she faced resistance and a “cloud of doubt.” Getting a no-contact order from the courts was a difficult process filled with barriers, she added.

Bowser said that earlier this year, her spouse was criminally charged, but she did not offer details.

In the past seven months, police in Nova Scotia have reported the deaths of seven women were the result of intimate partner violence, a distressing spike that has led to increased scrutiny of how the province is responding.

Rachel Shepherd, executive director of Bryony House, said the emergency shelter for 36 women and children in the Halifax region is consistently full and always has a waiting list.

“In the past year, our team has responded to thousands of calls and texts on our distress line,” she said. “We sheltered hundreds of women and children — for some, as long as 12 months.”

Other advocates made it clear that getting predictable, long-term funding was an ongoing problem.

Ann de Ste Croix, executive director of the Transition House Association of Nova Scotia, described gender-based violence as a “public health crisis,” adding that as of last year, Nova Scotia recorded Canada’s third highest rate of femicide, which is defined as an intentional killing with a gender-related motivation.

“Too often, women and their families who seek safety are met with systemic gaps instead of support,” she said. “We’re seeing a growing number of women showing up at shelters with complex and intersecting needs, such a trauma, substance use and mental health challenges — yet few have access to the services required.”

Susan Leblanc, an Opposition NDP member, reminded the committee that the public inquiry into the Nova Scotia mass shooting recommended that governments should contribute “epidemic-level” funding to programs aimed at combating intimate partner violence. That recommendation was in response to evidence that the man who killed 22 people in April 2020 began his rampage by brutally assaulting his common-law wife.

“We know we have an epidemic,” Leblanc said. “Are we actually working with epidemic-level funding?”

Meghan Hansford, manager of housing with Adsum for Women and Children, said that wasn’t the case.

“There’s a lot of work to do,” she said. “The programs that are operating right now are overwhelmed and exhausted. Every day it is hard to offer hope to those we are serving … We need epidemic-level funding.”

Two government officials told the committee that the province considers dealing with gender-based violence a high priority.

The Justice Department, for example, has established a gender-based violence division and has provided $7 million for domestic violence courts, counselling for victims and other programs. As well, the government’s spring budget set aside $100 million to deal with gender-based violence, which includes $17.9 million over four years for the Transition House Association.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 13, 2025.

Michael MacDonald, The Canadian Press