New lifeline for survivors in Leeds and Thousand Islands

The Ontario government is investing more than $227,000 over three years into a new rural initiative, based in the Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands, aimed at preventing gender-based violence and supporting survivors in isolated communities.

On Friday afternoon, inside the Victim Services office on Jessie Street in Lansdowne, provincial leaders stood shoulder-to-shoulder with local advocates to announce a $227,607 investment over three years to launch the new Intimate Partner Violence/Gender-Based Violence Rural Community Hub initiative.

Spearheaded by Leeds-Grenville-Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes MPP Steve Clark, the funding is part of Ontario’s wider action plan to end gender-based violence, the MPP’s staff noted.

It focuses on a persistent problem that cuts especially deep in rural areas like TLTI, where victims, isolated by distance and often without easy access to help, too often suffer in silence.

“With this investment, we’re ensuring that Victim Services of Leeds and Grenville has the resources they need to support survivors in our community and to do their vital work of preventing gender-based violence,” said Clark. “This funding is particularly important in rural communities where victims can feel even more isolated and disconnected from the services and supports they require.”

The initiative’s centerpiece is a fully mobile, community-focused model: a family support worker will travel directly to individuals and families across the township and beyond, meeting them in their homes or safe community spaces rather than waiting for them to cross large distances to reach an office.

The early intervention program will prioritize non-Criminal Code intimate partner violence cases, aiming to prevent situations from escalating into crisis.

Cecilia Clapson, executive director of Victim Services of Leeds and Grenville, described the project as a new front in a difficult battle.

“We are thrilled to launch this project focusing on education, prevention, and partnerships,” she said. “Transportation barriers are a very real issue in rural communities like ours. This model brings the help to where it’s needed most.”

Charmaine Williams, Ontario’s associate minister of women’s social and economic opportunity, praised the approach, noting the government’s commitment to strengthening community-based services and building pathways for survivors toward healing and financial security.

“I look forward to seeing how these new projects and their innovative approaches will help address gender-based violence in communities across Ontario,” said Williams.