A candlelight vigil was held in Halifax Thursday night to mourn those who have been lost due to intimate partner violence.
Seven women and one man have been killed in alleged incidents of domestic violence in Nova Scotia since October.
The most recent incident involves an 85-year-old man who is accused of killing his 83-year-old wife in Bridgewater, N.S., on Sunday.
Investigators say the woman’s death has been ruled a homicide and they are treating it as a case of intimate partner violence. The man has been charged with first-degree murder.
“We will not be silent even though their voices have been silenced,” said Natalie Brown, a survivor and advocate who spoke at Thursday’s event.
The Elizabeth Fry Society hosted the vigil called “From Grief to Action.”
The organization says the recent spike in intimate partner violence in the province is shocking and upsetting.
“We wanted to keep the conversation going with this very important issue, so we thought to host tonight’s vigil and educational event to spark that conversation and to come together with community in grief and also in action,” said Kylee Nunn, a program manager with the Elizabeth Fry Society of Mainland Nova Scotia.
Advocates are calling for more funding to support organizations in their efforts to prevent intimate partner violence.
In September 2024, the Nova Scotia government adopted a bill declaring domestic violence an epidemic in the province.
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