Canmore sees spike in reported cases of spousal abuse

The town of Canmore has seen a steady increase in cases of reported domestic abuse in recent years, but both police and social service providers say the numbers may not tell the whole story.

According to an RCMP report totown council, Canmore saw 76 cases of spousal abuse reported to police in 2017.

That's up 13 per cent from 2016 when 67 cases were reported. In 2015, the town saw 59 case of reported domestic abuse.

But the statistics may not reflect an increase in incidents of domestic abuse. Rather, more people could be reaching out to police, said Canmore RCMP Sgt. Stan Andronyk.

"It is possible that if the numbers go up it may not mean that there's more incidences, it means that people are more comfortable coming forward," he said.

In an era when sexual assault and gender-based violence has become a widely discussed topic, the numbers may reflect more awareness of resources available to victims, said Andronyk.

"The more resources there are and the better resources there are to help people, survivors of sexual assault and victims of sexual assault, the more prevention and awareness campaigns are out there and available to people," he said. "I think it does make it more comfortable to report and it can also help make investigations more effective."

Region faces unique risks

Reave MacLeod, director of programs and services for the Banff YWCA agreed.

"I think what you see here is actually our numbers are in line with what you would see across the province," she said.

However, Canmore and the Bow Valley do face some unique factors that may also contribute to the rates of reported domestic abuse, she said. The area has a relatively young population and there is a lack of support for people who have recently moved to the region, she said.

"We get a lot of people travelling here for work. They may not have friends and family around them," she said. "Most folks within their social circle may be relatively new."

Despite the fact the statistics may indicate more people feel comfortable reaching out to the police or going to the hospital for help, MacLeod said the community still has work to do. In any community, only between five and 10 per cent of domestic assault victims choose to come forward and report the assault.

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