Gratitude
This report would not have been possible without the invaluable contributions of the 107 survivors who generously shared their experiences through interviews, and the 1,000 individuals who did the same by responding to our survey. YOUR voices have shaped a detailed and powerful account of the realities survivors face when navigating the justice system. We are deeply grateful for your courage, openness, and trust.
“I want to commend the OFOVC. I knew that this was a substantial undertaking, but the length and depth of this report is significant, and it was so validating to read through so many of the experiences and recommendations that we at the Journey Project have been having or advocating for years. I also hope that everyone who has worked on this report was able to take some time for self and collective care. Bearing witness to ongoing pain and systemic cruelty is a unique experience that requires its own healing and community connection.”
Janet Lee, Provincial Director
The Journey Project
"I would like to acknowledge the tremendous work you are doing in synthesizing all this information. Congratulations! I would also like to thank you for giving me the opportunity to be among the first readers of this draft.” [Translation]
CAVAC Outaouais Coordinator
We also extend our heartfelt thanks to the many organizations and experts who collaborated with us. We are thankful for your time and expertise. The advice and guidance your provided during our countless exchanges, during interviews, when responding to our survey, in your written submissions or during consultation tables and focus groups was crucial to focusing our work. Your efforts to connect us with other experts were instrumental. Your support in coordinating and promoting consultation tables, reviewing our draft reports, and offering thoughtful improvements, clarifications, and nuanced perspectives on complex issues and legislative implications enriched this investigation immeasurably.
Academic Advisory Circle
| Alain-Guy Tachou Sipowo | Annette Bailey | Barbara Hamilton-Hinch |
Benjamin Perrin |
Carmen Gill |
Hannah Scott |
Irvin Waller |
Jo-Anne Wemmers |
Katie Cyr |
Marie Manakis |
Myrna Dawson |
Natalie Clark |
Patrina Duhaney |
Tanya Sharpe |
|
Frontline Service Providers Advisory Circle
Andrea Silverstone |
Andrée-Anne Marks |
Annie Nulukie |
Brittany Eisenbach |
Carrie McManus |
Cecilly Hildebrand |
DeRico Symonds |
Evelyn Fox |
Jana Schulz |
Karine Gagnon |
Kathleen Dufour |
Kristal Leblanc |
Kylie Bergfalk |
Michelle Rabeau |
Mohammed Baobaid |
Rev. Sky Starr |
Simone Page |
Sonya Jodoin |
Steve Sullivan |
Tanya Debassige |
Tiffany Lee |
First Nations, Inuit and Métis Advisory Circle
Cristi Adams (Chair) |
Alaya McIvor |
Anna Fontaine |
Ashley MacLellan |
Elsa Berland |
Hilda Anderson-Pyrz |
Jaylene Delorme |
Jennifer Moore Rattray |
Lisa Monchalin |
Odelle Pike |
Pam McNeil |
Sabet Biscaye |
Terrellyn Fearn |
|
|
Our appreciation to our federal partners
Federal Interdepartmental Consultative Committee
- Canadian Heritage (Sports Canada)
- Department of National Defence (Sexual Misconduct Support and Resource Centre)
- Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)
- Indigenous Services Canada (ISC)
- Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC)
- Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)
- Women and Gender Equality Canada, 2SLGBTQI+ Secretariat
Your support meant everything
Thank you to survivors across Canada who trusted us to listen. Your voices are strong and you are worthy of dignity and respect.
Thank you to our Expert Advisory Circle for sharing your diverse perspectives, lived experiences, and deep subject matter knowledge. The feedback you provided was so helpful and I’m in awe of the collective work you have done to champion stronger rights and services for survivors.
Sunny Marriner, Chair of our Expert Advisory Circle, thank you for your tenacity, wisdom, joy and advice. Your approach to supporting our team throughout the investigation helped us feel safe and grounded. I have learned so much from you.
Thank you to our Federal Interdepartmental Consultative Committee (FICC) for helping us situate our findings within broader federal legislative and policy landscapes.
Thank you to our First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Advisory Circle (FNIMAC), Frontline Service Provider Advisory Circle (FSPAC), and Academic Advisory Circle (AAC). Your ongoing guidance strengthens our work and helps us better understand experiences across Canada.
Thank you to Sharon Pratchler, Saskatchewan Ombudsman, who helped me to visit the beautiful people and landscapes of northern Saskatchewan. I have done my best to honour what I learned in our report.
We are incredibly grateful to Meaghan Cunningham and Teresa Donnelly from the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General for their generosity in helping us improve the accuracy of our work. It is a privilege to learn from your experience.
And thank you to the many organizations and people who supported us through outreach, group facilitation, advocacy, manuscript review, and ongoing encouragement. We hope this is the beginning of continued collaborations.
Your work makes a difference
Thank you to our incredible team at the Office of the Federal Ombudsperson for Victims of Crime (OFOVC). I honour the time, listening, humility and love which you have given so generously. Your collective energy and innovation helped turn our vision into reality.
Thank you for being the best team.
Benjamin Roebuck
Federal Ombudsperson for Victims of Crime
