Emergency funding narrowly approved for Brant County gender-based violence support groups

In a 5-4 vote on Tuesday night, County of Brant councilors committed $266,177 in one-time emergency funding split between four organizations supporting local people affected by gender-based and intimate partner violence.

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The funds will be used by the Sexual Assault Center of Brant, Victim Services of Brant, Willowbridge Community Services, and Nova Vita to bring on additional staff — and in one case extend a current contract.

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The need for gender-based violence support services in the area has grown beyond their current capacity, organizations wrote in their initial requests to council before the February budget deliberations.

Councilors ultimately voted not to provide the requested funds at the time, deferring the requests to the joint services committee discussion with Brantford.

On Tuesday, Coun. John Bell called the move a “huge embarrassment” — something Mayor David Bailey echoed, while pointing to the county’s repeated financial support of clubs and sports teams.

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Especially considering just three months earlier, they voted unanimously to declare gender-based and intimate partner violence an epidemic in a resolution put forward by Coun. Jennifer Kyle.

But Joanna Brant, executive director of the Sexual Assault Center of Brant, said it’s “not enough” to simply declare an epidemic. “We must act,” she wrote in an email to several councilors on Tuesday.

Four councilors noted on Tuesday that while they support the cause, they couldn’t support dipping into reserve and surplus funds, especially given the strapped budget and high tax levy.

“Things can happen that are totally unexpected,” Coun. Robert Chambers said, referencing the Hamilton ransomware attack. “That’s what the contingencies are for.”

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In a social media post, Coun. Lukas Oakley, who put forward the resolution for the emergency funding, said he hopes it will recognize that “meaningful and permanent action must be taken,” while helping to address the “immediate acute underfunding crisis” faced by the organizations.

Gender-based and intimate partner violence in Brant County by the numbers:

• 296: Domestic calls Brant OPP responded to in 2023 as of December, according to the detachment statistics report from January 2024.
• 115: People on the wait-list at the Sexual Assault Center of Brant, with more than one-third of them residing in the county — something that highlights “service needs disproportionate to Brant’s population size,” executive director Joanna Brant said.
• 37: Direct referrals from Brant OPP to Nova Vita for domestic violence- or human trafficking- related support last year. Nova Vita said this number only represents the individuals who followed up with them directly.
• 625: Per cent increase of clients under 18 (in Brantford and Brant County combined) in the last five years who qualified for gender-based violence services and are waiting for counseling through Willowbridge Community Services.

Celeste Percy-Beauregard is a Local Journalism Initiative Reporter based at the Hamilton Spectator. The initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.

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