Lanark County’s shelter crisis line lit up 3,000 times last year, each ring carrying the weight of a life in turmoil. In rural Ontario, what once simmered beneath the surface has now become impossible to ignore – intimate partner violence reports are climbing, and behind every statistic lies a harrowing story.
According to newly released police data, Ontario saw an 18.1 percent jump in intimate partner violence cases in 2024, reaching 6,289 reports. The year before had already marked a significant uptick from 2022. In the Ottawa region, the past six months alone brought a further nine percent escalation. Shelters and victim agencies in rural counties like Lanark and Renfrew have not been spared; calls for help here have surged by the hundreds.
Erin Lee, who has guided women fleeing abuse for over thirty years, notes a disturbing shift: “People are calling about acts of violence. They’re not calling to say, ‘I’m a little bit concerned.’ They’re calling when they’re in it.” The urgency of these calls speaks volumes about the intensity of the current crisis. Most troubling, however, is that the vast majority of abuse cases remain hidden. In 2019, four out of five victims never contacted police, often waiting until violence escalates before seeking help.
There are glimmers of change. Police now collaborate with community agencies in ways once unimaginable. Officers in Lanark and Renfrew are receiving training directly from survivors and front-line workers, a move praised by advocates for its focus on victim safety. The Ontario Provincial Police have introduced specialized abuse investigators, aiming for a trauma-informed response that shifts the focus to survivors’ needs.
Yet, a stubborn gap persists between the number of calls for service and the number of cases referred for support. While increased trust in police and improved coordination have boosted reporting, the underlying drivers of abuse have not vanished. Education, according to shelter directors, remains the linchpin – teaching children what healthy relationships look like and intervening before harm takes root.
The crisis has forced communities and institutions to reckon with uncomfortable truths, sparking overdue conversations and incremental reforms. The numbers may be rising, but so too are efforts to ensure that no call for help goes unanswered.
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Police data shows intimate partner violence calls on the rise in Ontario
