Speaking and having a voice – the best medicine for survivors

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Courtney Gaudreau is a survivor and she vows to continue encouraging others to speak out when they experience injustice.

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Gaudreau, a Sudbury resident, fought for 15 months to have her identity and the name of her tormentor made public.

Since that victory, she has continued to advocate for victims’ rights in many groups across Ontario and recently met with Dan Jennings, whose daughter Caitlin was killed in a domestic violence incident in London, Ontario just over a year ago.

Gaudreau said she will continue to advocate for victims like Caitlin Jennings and Angie Sweeney and push for government change at both the federal and provincial levels.

“There shouldn’t be more Angies. There shouldn’t be more Caitlins in the future. And that’s why we’re pushing for a movement that creates change,” she said. “I truly believe that together we are stronger and louder.”

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Jennings said Gaudreau first approached him and his wife, Michelle, and told her her story.

“People want to share their stories with us and we will always be a voice for the people who can’t share their own stories,” Jennings said.

Gaudreau is convinced that every person has an inner strength that they are unaware of until they have to discover it on their own path.

“I didn’t know I was so strong until I had no other choice,” she said. “I think what I’m trying to do now is give others hope and the strength to come out and share their stories.”

Gaudreau said she has spent much of her time – she considers it almost a full-time job – connecting with others who want to push Canadian lawmakers to change and update the Criminal Code and adding their voices to their messages.

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“There are so many problems and so many people wanting the law to change, especially to help victims, that it’s exhausting. I feel like I’m spinning into a void, but we have to come together to not give up hope and keep spreading our message of change,” Gaudreau told the Sault Star in a phone interview from Sudbury.

She has joined Sault Ste. Marie’s voice through Angie’s Angels and Caitlin’s Heard and stays in touch with others such as Kate Alexander’s Ending Violence Everywhere and Ontario Injustice.

She has also spoken to elected officials in her region and follows any movements or initiatives that help victims.

“Victims must not give up. They must keep pushing and stay on the radar to be heard,” Gaurdreau said. “Our laws can only be changed if we share our stories, advocate through our elected officials and make sure we are heard.”

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Jennings agrees that Canada’s Criminal Code is outdated in many areas and needs to be reformed to protect survivors.

“I think the message is that no one is alone,” Jennings said. “Speaking up takes the power away from the perpetrator and that’s the biggest win. It’s not just domestic violence, it’s sexual assault and so many other things.”

The Sault Ste. Marie Police Department has launched a pilot project aimed at reducing cases of IPV.

The goal of the pilot project was to identify individuals who had been victims of domestic violence, determine if they needed further assistance, and if they wanted to update their safety plan. Services such as Women in Crisis (Algoma) and Children’s Aid Society of Algoma can be found on the police website at saultpolice.ca/ipv.

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The pilot project, launched in March, has resulted in charges in at least four cases. Data shows officers have returned calls to people involved in free service calls 271 times, with 14 calls leading to further investigations.

Jennings hopes the pilot project is successful and can then be shared and implemented with other police forces in Ontario and across Canada.

In the meantime, “the best healing for me has been to tell Caitlin’s story and hope that I can create a better world for the future, for future generations,” Jennings said.

Gaurdreau said she will continue to advocate for survivors’ rights and ensure resources are more easily made available to those in need.

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