An Ontario real estate agent has raised $1,540 for Elk Valley Women’s Transition House through Royal LePage Shelter Foundation’s “Challenge for Shelter” trek to Ecuador.
In November, Margorie Grime joined a group of Canadians on an 85 kilometer hike to Cotopaxi, an active stratovolcano in the Andes Mountains in Ecuador, to raise money for women fleeing domestic violence.
Grime gathered $10,000 out of the group’s record $1.7 million total, and was able to distribute a portion to shelters of her choice. In addition to Elk Valley Women’s Transition House, she also gave to Family Transition Place in Orangeville, ON and My Friend’s House in Collingwood, ON. Having lived in multiple communities in Ontario and skied in Fernie, she has a personal connection to all three places.
“I’m so pleased that I was part of this amazing group of people and that we can make a difference in other women’s lives,” she said.
Grime met with Elkford Women’s Task Force Society executive director Kim Bauer in Fernie on Feb. 5 for a cheque presentation.
Elk Valley Women’s Transition House, formerly Elk Valley Safe Homes Program, provides shelter to survivors of domestic violence and their children. Last year, it hosted 1,900 shelter nights and organized thousands of outreach services.
Bauer said the money will go towards helping women secure housing, and find essentials like food and clothing once they leave the shelter.
“They come to us with nothing so they literally are starting all over again,” she said.
“We’re very appreciative of the support,” she added.
Bauer said the lack of affordable housing in the Elk Valley can present a challenge for women who are making a new start and that every bit of money helps.
A study from the Canadian Femicide Observatory for Justice and Accountability found that from 2018 to 2022, at least one woman or girl was killed by violence every two days.
42 per cent of women killed lived in a rural area, a disproportionate number in comparison to population, and one in every five deaths were indigenous women.
The relationship between the primary victim and the accused was reported publicly 60 per cent of the time. Of these cases, 62 per cent of deaths involved a current or former male partner and 24 per cent were at the hands of a male family member.
It was also noted that the killing of women and girls increased by 27 per cent in 2022 from pre-Covid in 2019.
Grime said it’s important to raise awareness of violence against women, so that victims and survivors know they’re not alone.
“It’s so hard for women to become empowered because they’ve been abused. They’re afraid of getting murdered or of their children getting hurt,” she said.
“When they’re aware that it has happened to other people, they’re more willing to share,” she added.