Domestic Abuse Help in Canada

Commonly Asked Domestic Abuse Questions

DomesticShelters.org has heard from many victims and survivors in Canada, and created toolkits covering the topics that people tell us they want to learn more about. Domestic abuse is a complex matter. We have developed nearly 1,000 articles on every aspect of domestic violence. If you don’t find what you need below, enter your topic here and our search engine will find what you need.

• What is Domestic Abuse?
• Why Do Abusers Abuse?
• I’m Ready to Leave, Now What?
• What About My Kids?
• I Know Someone Who is Being Abused, What Should I Do?
• How Do I Heal After Abuse?

Learn More About Domestic Abuse

• The Five Types of Domestic Abuse
• What is Coercive Control?
• What is Emotional or Mental Abuse?
• Are You a Victim of Gaslighting?
• What is Financial Abuse?
• 14 Misconceptions About Domestic Abuse
• 25 Relationship Red Flags
• How Abusers Speak
• Profile of an Abuser
• Abuse Almost Always Escalates
• Power and Control Wheel Explains Cycle of Violence
• Collecting Evidence of Abuse Without Danger
• Calling a Helpline: What You Can Expect
• When It’s Time to Go
• Leaving Without Dying

National Domestic Abuse Helplines and Resources for Canada

If you are experiencing domestic abuse in Canada, this page provides you with the essential resources needed to find help in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Yukon. For life-threatening emergencies, dial 911.

Search for shelters throughout Canada

Centre for Research & Education on Violence Against Women & Children

Resourceful Canadian group with an ambitious array of resources including studies on violence and the workplace, a website called Cut It Out for beauty and hair care professionals, training on topics such as safe schools, media literacy and much more.

Women's Shelters in Canada

Women's Shelters in Canada represents a strong, unified voice on the issue of violence against women across Canada. Through collaboration, knowledge exchange and adoption of innovative practices, they work to advance the coordination and implementation of high-quality services for women and children accessing shelters.

Alberta

Find Help & Statistics: Alberta

Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters

Treaty 6 Territory
600, 10310 Jasper Avenue
Edmonton, AB T5J 2W4
(780) 456-7000
(866) 331-3933 Hotline
Website: https://acws.ca

Alberta Family Violence Info Line*

780-310-1818 Hotline
Website: endfamilyviolence.alberta.ca
*Toll-free, 24/7, Multilingual helpline

British Columbia

Find Help & Statistics: British Columbia

VictimLink BC* (Also serves Yukon)

(800) 563-0808
TTY: 604-875-0885
Text: 604-836-6381
Email: VictimLinkBC@bc211.ca
Website: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/justice/criminal-justice/victims-of-crime/victimlinkbc
*24/7 help line providing crisis support in 130 languages. Connect to safe emergency shelter, counseling programs
and other treatment and healing programs.

BC Society of Transition Houses

Suite 325, 119 W. Pender St.
Vancouver, BC V6B 1S5
(604) 669-6943
Fax: (604) 682-6962
Email: info@bcsth.ca
Website: https://bcsth.ca/
The BC Society of Transition Houses is a member-based, provincial umbrella organization that, through leadership,
support and collaboration, enhances the continuum of services and strategies to respond to, prevent and end
violence against women, children and youth.

Ending Violence Association BC

1404 – 510 West Hastings Street
Vancouver, BC V6B 1L8
(604) 633-2506
Fax: 604-633-2507
Website: http://endingviolence.org

Manitoba

Find Help & Statistics: Manitoba

Manitoba Association of Women’s Shelters

MAWS c/o Box 389
Winkler, MB R6W 4A6
204-430-4346
Hotline: 877-977-0007 (24/7)
TTY: (888) 987-2829
Website: http://www.maws.mb.ca/

Newfoundland and Labrador

Find Help & Statistics: Newfoundland & Labrador

Transition House Association of Newfoundland and Labrador

510 Topsail Road, Suite 113
St. John's, NL A1E 2C2
709-739-6759
Fax: 709-739-6951
Email: info@thanl.org
Website: http://www.thanl.org

Nova Scotia

Find Help & Statistics: Nova Scotia

Transition House Association of Nova Scotia

204 – 6169 Quinpool Rd.
Halifax, NS B3L 4P8
(902) 429-7287
Fax: (902) 429-0561
Email: coordinator@thans.ca
Website: http://thans.ca/

Ontario

Find Help & Statistics: Ontario

Ontario Association of Interval & Transition Houses

PO Box 27585 Yorkdale Mall
Toronto, ON M6A 3B8
416-977-6619
Email: info@oaith.ca
Website: http://www.oaith.ca/

Assaulted Women’s Helpline*

P.O. Box 40569,Six Points Plaza
Etobicoke, ON M9B 6K8
(416) 364-4144
Fax: (416) 364-0563
(866) 863-0511 Hotline
(866) 863-7868 TTY
*Free, confidential counseling, emotional support, safety planning and referrals for women needing a shelter,
legal advice or other supports. Available 24/7, province-wide in more than 100 different languages including
17 Aboriginal languages.

Fem’aide*

(866) 863-0511 Hotline (English)
(866) 863-7868 TTY (English)
(877) 336-2433 Hotline (French)
(866) 860-7082 TTY (French)
Website (English): http://femaide.ca/english/
Website (French): http://femaide.ca/
*For francophone women, toll-free, province-wide, safety planning and referrals

Talk4Help*

1-855-554-HEAL (4325)
Text: 1-855-554-HEAL
Website: https://www.talk4healing.com/ (live chat available)
*For indigenous women, 14 languages available

Quebec

Find Help & Statistics: Quebec

SOS Violence Conjugale*

CP 55, Succ. C
Montreal, Quebec H2L 4J7
514 728-0023
Fax: 514 728-4247
1-800-363-9010 Hotline (24/7)
514-873-9010 Local Hotline (24/7)
Email: sos@sosviolenceconjugale.ca
Website: http://www.sosviolenceconjugale.ca/
*Only province-wide centralized crisis line, 24/7, toll-free, TTY compatible

The Federation of Women's Shelters (FMHF)

PO Box 55036, Maisonneuve Branch
Montreal, Quebec H1W 0A1
(514) 878-9757
Website: http://fede.qc.ca/

Saskatchewan

Find Help & Statistics: Saskatchewan

Provincial Association of Transition Houses and Services of Saskatchewan

2505 11th Ave, Suite 308
Regina, SK S4P0K6
306-522-3515
Email: paths@sasktel.net
Website: https://pathssk.org

Yukon

Find Help & Statistics: Yukon

VictimLink BC* (Also serves British Columbia)
(800) 563-0808
TTY: 604-875-0885
Text: 604-836-6381
Email: VictimLinkBC@bc211.ca
Website: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/justice/criminal-justice/victims-of-crime/victimlinkbc
*24/7 helpline providing crisis support in 130 languages. Connect to safe emergency shelter, counseling programs
and other treatment and healing programs

Domestic Abuse Stats in Canada

• It’s estimated that each year, Canadians collectively spend $7.4 billion to deal with the aftermath of spousal violence alone, according to the Department of Justice. This figure includes immediate costs, such as emergency room visits and related costs, such as loss of income. It also includes tangible costs such as funerals, and intangible costs such as pain and suffering.
• 67% of all Canadians say they have personally known at least one woman who has experienced physical or sexual abuse.
• Approximately every six days, a woman in Canada is killed by her intimate partner. Out of the 83 police-reported intimate partner homicides in 2014, 67 of the victims—over 80%—were women.
• The rate of domestic violence is likely much higher than we know; 70% of spousal violence is not reported to the police.
• 7 in 10 people who experience family violence are women and girls.
• Women are about four times as likely as men to be victims of intimate partner homicide.
• Some women stay because the abuser has threatened to harm or kill a household pet. In one study, 57% of survivors of domestic violence had their pet killed by an abusive partner.

Source: Canadian Women’s Foundation