Purple Chairs Offer Support to Those Experiencing Family Violence

The City of St. Albert in partnership with St. Albert RCMP have unveiled the installation of two purple Adirondack chairs overlooking the Sturgeon River, north of the Children’s Bridge on Red Willow Trail

The St. Albert Purple Chairs are inspired by an initiative started in Nova Scotia to honour a woman who was murdered by her husband of 25 years. These chairs serve as a colourful memorial to women killed by their partners and a source of information for people facing domestic violence who don’t know where to turn.

“It was fantastic to see so many community organizations at the ribbon cutting of the Purple Chairs. It reassures me that there is so much local support to help break the cycle of family violence,” said Leanne MacMillan, Community Development Coordinator with the City of St. Albert.

Each chair will have a  plaque on the arm providing phone numbers for those experiencing abuse and for helpers to share including the Alberta Family Violence Info Line, Hope for Wellness Helpline for Indigenous People, and Kids Help Phone.

“Women and girls experience the most intimate partner violence in Canada. The percentage of women versus men who are impacted by intimate partner violence  has remained steady over the years at approximately 80 per cent,” said MacMillan. “The rate is especially high among those 12 to 24 years old  — young women and girls, Indigenous women, 2S LGBTQ+, women with disabilities and women of colour all experience higher rates of intimate partner violence and abuse.”

“Everyone can play a part in preventing family violence, and it starts with learning what to look out for. I would encourage everyone to register for an online Keep it REAL training session. This training teaches people how to break the cycle of violence by learning how to recognize the signs and ways to support those in need,” said MacMillan.

If you are interested in attending one of these sessions:

Register for Real Talk Training (eventbrite)
 

Family Violence Prevention Month

The installation of the chairs coincides with Family Violence Prevention Month, observed in November of each year. It is a time to increase awareness of the warning signs of family violence and the resources and supports available within the community.

Recognizing the need for easy-to access resources, the City of St. Albert maintains a Quick Exit Resource Page for those experiencing violence and abuse.

This webpage outlines ample support resources and referral programs that can support individuals in a variety of vulnerable situations, while offering another level of protection against further danger. Users are provided with a quick escape feature on the page that allows them to quickly exit the potentially danger-inducing content and instead brings users to an innocuous page that may help keep them safe.

In addition, the City’s Community Services department engages residents and organizations in family and gender-based violence prevention and awareness activities, such as the Moosehide Project, Wiseguyz, providing access to sexual violence counselling, resource sharing and more.

Also supporting St. Albert residents is the Saffron Centre, which provides confidential in-person or online sexual violence counselling and support. They can be reached at 780-449-0900 or info@saffroncentre.com.

For more information about the St. Albert Purple Chairs and resources for family violence prevention, visit the Family Violence Prevention page

Want to stay informed?

Receive weekly updates by subscribing to City Highlights

---

Related Pages

Family Violence Prevention ›

Healthy Relationships ›

Family & Community Support Services ›