Waterloo region sex assault centre grappling with news that funding boost won't be renewed

Workshops offered by the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region could be in trouble due to news that the province won't renew a one-time funding boost for rape crisis centres.

Last year, the Kitchener-based sexual assault centre received $28,000 in additional funding from the province, according to executive director Sara Casselman.

That funding, combined with money from the Kitchener Waterloo Community Foundation, has paid for a facilitator whose job it is to provide workshops for survivors of sexual assault.

Casselman said survivors often take the workshops — on topics such as navigating the court system and healing after sexual assault — as they sit on a wait list for counselling.

"Because our waiting lists are so long, we're trying to provide services for folks as best as we can," said Casselman.

"Pretty much every day at our centre we have groups and workshops where survivors can come in while they're waiting … [so] at least there's something available."

In response to questions from CBC News, Ontario Attorney General spokesperson Doug Downey said the province's rape crisis centres receive $14.8 million in annual provincial funding.

"As our work continues to find ways of directing more resources and tools to the front-lines of victims supports across the Ontario government, we will be maintaining the same funding guarantee in 2020-21," wrote press secretary Jenessa Crognali.

The one-time increase that was granted last year, Crognali said, was to "support sexual assault centres in the wake of the unfunded promises made by the Liberals."

Prior to the provincial election, Casselman said the previous Liberal government had promised enough of a funding bump province-wide to pay for two full-time counsellors at SASC WR.

She said that money would have been "unprecedented in our sector, but so necessary" given the spike in demand her centre has seen in recent years.

Five years ago, Casselman said a wait list of 40 people would have been "a crisis" at her centre. Nowadays, they're averaging a wait list of about 140.

Casselman said funding for the workshop facilitator position will continue through end of August. She hopes the community will step in to fill the gaps going forward.