THUNDER BAY — Thunder Bay and Area Victim Services hopes their new location, right between The Persian Man and Gino's Pizza on Balmoral Street, will be easy to find for people in need.
Thunder Bay and Area Victim Services provides confidential support, education and referral services to victims of crimes and tragic circumstances.
The are now located at 400 Balmoral St. Unit 2.
“People can come in and see us, visit us, come learn about us," said Penny Radford, executive director of Thunder Bay and Area Victim Services.
Being right next to a coffee shop, we've had a many people stop in and ask who we are, what we are, what we do.
“This is what we want people to know, is that we are there and when going through serious crimes, we're here for you,” she said.
“The other piece is that it's a very well-lit area. When our staff have to run in for emergency go bags or cell phones for safety, they're in a well-lit area with still some action because the pizza place is open too.
“So, still some traffic out there where they're feeling safe. We have quick access, really central to all of our safe spaces that we use for the community and close to a lot of services that we utilize when we're calling around for supports for people."
There are many places close to the new location that link to victim services, Radford said.
“We're closer to the women's shelters, we're closer to the police station and we're closer to the OPP and we're in a place where it’s very accessible to people.
The need for this service is growing, Radford said.
“How do we help people instead of condemning or blaming? How can we make services collaborate so that we can put arms around everybody and bring everybody to a safe space?
“When we talk about those issues, when I read about what's happening with chief Fleury and the decisions that they're making and the OPP, the new decisions that they're making, you see that the force is being trained and you see that coming to life and you see the collaboration of services,” she said.
Radford said one service is not going to be the answer to somebody's issues.
“All of us coming together making it a lot easier, a lot more accessible for people to get to us and to receive our services is the answer. We can't stay in the shadows,” she said.
Thunder Bay police chief Darcy Fleury said it’s important to the police service that people get all the assistance they need to get them through the justice system, and victim services has always played an important part in that.
“Just the referrals that we can make and having those people being taken care of by people who are trained, volunteers who are trained and making sure that they're feeling comfortable about where they are as they go through the process.”
There always is constant communication between the police service and victim services, Fleury said.
“Really, it comes down to if a case is going to go to court, for example, and we have some pieces on that. I want to make sure that the person feels comfortable, that they understand what's going on, what the investigation has gone through.
“Sometimes there's a lot of trauma that goes with it.
“It really, it comes down to how that person is managed. How they feel comfortable with the system, their understanding of the system and giving them the support they need to ensure that they can get through it,” Fleury said.
