The Women’s Sexual Assault Centre of Renfrew County is growing and expanding, according to its project coordinator.
According to Kim Charlebois, the organization’s project coordinator, says the “We Stand with Survivors” awareness campaign – a foundational piece of the organization’s mandate – has been building gradually over the years and is reaching new heights in 2026.
The campaign sees various municipalities hanging up a 28-foot banner in recognition of Sexual Violence Prevention Month, an annual observance in Canada each May.
The beginning of the campaign saw Eganville, Pembroke and Arnprior agree to hang up the banners. In the years since, more and more have been brought in as part of the initiative, and another new municipality has joined this year.
A women’s shelter in Lanark County also takes part in the annual campaign, and Charlebois also says rural communities in several other provinces have also joined in.
Charlebois says many women in rural communities feel that they have a hard time being heard, seen, believed and supported, because of factors like a lack of public transit and the small population increasing the risk of unwanted information spreading.
She also says people in urban areas like Toronto have significantly more options for survivors of sexual violence in need of support compared to people in rural areas, which is part of the reason why the centre has focused so much on expanding its awareness campaign.
More information on the organization can be found on its website.
(Written by Steve Berard)
