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What a spring it was! The Ombudsman and staff were occupied with responding to victims’ questions and concerns, while maintaining a busy schedule of policy work, meetings and speaking engagements.

 

In This Issue:

• Victims and Survivors of Crime Week
• Legislative Update
• Final Report on the Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls
• OFOVC Annual Report 2016-2017
• Looking Ahead

Events & engagement with stakeholders
The Ombudsman’s spring calendar kicked off with her first meeting with the recently-named Minister of Justice, David Lametti in early April. She was then busy until the end of June, fulfilling several speaking engagements, notably, the April 2019 Victims of Homicide Western Canadian Conference in Edmonton, where she spoke about the work of the OFOVC and met with several victims’ families. Other engagements included speaking at the AGM for the Ontario Network of Victim Service Providers and the Prairie Region Victims Advisory Council Community Forum held in Winnipeg on June 24th. The Ombudsman also pursued her commitment to professional development through attending conferences and learning events, such as the International Justice and Human Rights summer school in Montreal, Quebec.

Victims and survivors of crime week
The key event each spring is the annual symposium hosted by the Policy Centre for Victim Issues (PCVI). The Ombudsman was pleased to be invited to give a moment of reflection and to introduce the keynote speaker, Jeremy Dias, in Fredericton, NB on May 27th. The Ombudsman met with the regional Victims Advisory Council Chairs to Correctional Services Canada and the Parole Board Canada while in Fredericton.

The OFOVC congratulates PCVI on an excellent event!

The Ombudsman also spoke at Victims and Survivors of Crime Week event, “Breaking the Silence”, in Brockville, Ontario. She focused on the need to take a human rights approach to victims’ rights and putting a priority on gender-based violence.

 

Legislative update
The Ombudsman has kept busy with policy work and providing recommendations to the federal government on victims’ issues. She testified before two Senate committees on Bills C-75 and C-77, and made a written submission on Bill C-337. Check out the website to read our submissions!   

When Bill C-71 passed in the Senate, the Ombudsman issued a statement, highlighting the need for further strengthening of firearms controls in Canada.

Did you know?
Bill C-75 re-enacts the victim surcharge regime with greater judicial discretion to impose the surcharge, in response to the Supreme Court of Canada’s December 2018 decision in R v Boudreault. The victim surcharge will come into force 30 days after Royal Assent, which is July 31, 2019.

 

Final report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women
On June 3, 2019, the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls released its final report. The Ombudsman issued a statement on the publication of the findings, thanking the Commissioners and participants, and calling on all Canadians to embrace the recommendations and join the movement for empowerment, justice, and decolonization for Indigenous women and girls. The OFOVC is preparing a response to the MMIWG report, and will send it separately.

OFOVC Annual Report 2016-2017

The OFOVC’s 2016-2017 Annual Report was recently tabled in the House of Commons. It summarizes our key activities and recommendations in our ongoing work to assist victims of crime in Canada and can now be found on our website.
A highlight of this report was our 10th anniversary!

 

Looking ahead
Traditionally, summer is a time for recharging the batteries. Good thing! The fall season is shaping up to be packed with activities, including several speaking engagements for the Ombudsman.

Please join us at the Canadian Violence Link Conference hosted by Humane Canada on November 21-22, 2019 in Toronto. The conference will highlight the latest research and promising new practices to advance the criminal justice and social service responses to the violence link. The field’s leading experts in the areas of law, enforcement, behaviour, interpersonal violence and social services will examine how law enforcement, social services, community organizations, government and policy makers, animal welfare organizations and veterinarians can work together on these issues to create a less violent society.

To register: https://clc.humanecanada.ca/registration

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