'They have nowhere to go': Hundreds walk in Saskatoon to raise awareness for domestic violence
More than one hundred walkers showed up in Saskatoon on Saturday to raise awareness for domestic abuse and homicide in the city.
The route saw walkers with signs in hand escorted by police take a non-direct route from Howard Coad school to Saskatoon Police Service headquarters in downtown.
Among the walkers, there were a number of families whose lives had been forever altered by domestic abuse, including Andrea Naytowhow who lost her Niece, Melissa, to domestic homicide last fall.
"Today we're here to break the silence, and stop the violence in the community," said Naytowhow.
Co-organizer Cathleen Balon lost her daughter, Nykera, in 2022. Many among the crowd had similar stories of violence within their families and communities.
"No more victim blaming, these women can’t get away, they have nowhere to go. So its time that they have a place to go. All the shelters are full, what's a piece of paper going to do," said Balon.
Among the marchers was Saskatoon police chief Cam McBride.
"I believe that working together with the community is the future for policing, and it will be commonplace from now on," said McBride.
For McBride, it was an important moment to build bridges and speak with people with direct experience of the issue.
"It was a great opportunity to talk about some of the challenges that individuals face, even challenges in dealing with the police in this realm. Having the ability to gain that firsthand understanding from individuals living through those circumstances is so critical," said McBride.
Organizers urge anyone experiencing domestic violence to reach out for help or do whatever is possible to remove themselves from the situation.
Various resources exist in Saskatoon for those experiencing domestic violence through transitional housing, crisis lines, and victim services.
Saskatoon Interval House offers a domestic violence/abuse crisis line that can be reached at 1-888-338-0880
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