Nearly 20 people were in attendance for the unveiling of the Purple Bench at Drumbo Park on Wednesday, November 20, 2024.
The Purple Bench campaign, often referred to as “Barb’s Bench Project,” was first started in Spryfield, Nova Scotia, as a way to honour the memory of Barbara Baillie.
“This campaign is in memorial of a woman who lost her life to gender-based violence and left behind five children back in 1990,” said Diane Harris, Executive Director for Domestic Abuse Services Oxford (DASO) and Ingamo Homes. “One of the things that she did to escape her abusive partner was go out to the parks and sit on a bench, just to be on her own and to contemplate what life was going to bring.”
Since Baillie’s five children first started the campaign for the 25th anniversary of their mother’s passing back in 2015, the campaign has since gone national with provinces all over Canada installing the benches to raise awareness about domestic violence and offer support for survivors.
Organized by Domestic Abuse Services Oxford (DASO), Ingamo Homes, and the Domestic Abuse Resource Team (DART) Oxford, a total of eight benches, purchased and donated by Maglin Site Furniture, are now being installed in various communities across Oxford County including Blandford-Blenheim (Drumbo), Ingersoll, Tillsonburg, Southwest Oxford, Woodstock, Zorra, East-Zorra Tavistock and Norwich.
During the unveiling, Harris shared with attendees the stark realities of Intimate Partner Violence and Gender-Based Violence, noting that it could happen to anybody, anywhere.
“Since last November, there have been 60 femicides in Ontario and one of those just happened this past weekend [Sunday, November 17] in Oshawa. …Here in Oxford County, we might be in a smaller community, but we are not immune to Gender-Based Violence or Intimate Partner Violence,” said Harris. “We must understand that in these situations, it isn’t random people causing harm to strangers, they’re people that we all know. They’re our neighbours, our co-workers and even our friends; they’re part of our community, and that means we have a responsibility to change this.”
Harris continued on to say that in order to prevent such violence, the community must strive to work together and continue raising awareness.
“Prevention starts with awareness, and it grows with action. November is Intimate Partner Violence Awareness month and that’s why we’ve brought the purple bench campaign to Oxford County at this time,” she said. “These benches are more than just a place to sit, they’re a symbol of awareness and a call to action. Each bench is a reminder that we must keep this conversation going, work together to prevent violence and create a safer community for everyone.”
Not only does the bench now symbolize the community’s commitment to raising awareness and creating a safe and inclusive environment, it also features a QR code linking to DASO’s Crisis Call Centre and Emergency Shelter, Ingamo Homes’ Second Stage Housing resources, and Oxford County’s Family Violence Counselling Program.
Speaking about the campaign and the significance behind it, Mark Peterson, Mayor for the Township of Blandford-Blenheim, said having the Purple Bench in the community, may just make a difference in someone’s life.
“In the last couple of days, I spent some time Googling ‘what does a purple bench mean?’ and if you haven’t done that and read the whole story behind it, I suggest you do because while it’s a sad story, it’s also enlightening as well,” said Peterson. “I’m thankful this bench is here now because if somebody comes over and they follow one of those links through the QR code and it makes a difference in their life, that’s what makes this bench it all worthwhile.”
Kimberly De Jong’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative.The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at kimberly.dejong@brantbeacon.ca.
