'It's gotten worse': gender-based violence on the rise in Nova Scotia

Nearly two decades have passed since Paula Gallant, a 36-year-old mother, was murdered by her husband. 

Gallant was strangled in her home on Dec. 27, 2005, after arguing with her husband over a $700 online gambling debt on his credit card. Her body was later found in the trunk of her car in the parking lot outside of Beechville-Lakeside-Timberlea Elementary School, where she was a Grade 3 teacher. 

Gallant's husband, Jason MacRae, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in 2011 following a lengthy, high-profile investigation. 

Her sister, Lynn Gallant-Blackburn, worries that the gender-based violence that claimed her sister's life has taken the lives of too many other Nova Scotian women.

Gallant-Blackburn published a memoir — For the Love of My Sister: Paula Gallant's Legacy — in November 2024. The book was published with the support of Women's Centres Connect.

It begins and ends with the beloved mother and teacher full of life.

"I really believed Portapique would change the mindset," Gallant-Blackburn said. "I thought that would be the differentiator.

"The then and the now? There's very little difference —as a matter of fact, I think it's gotten worse."

Within a three-month period beginning in October, police say six Nova Scotia women were killed by their male partners:

• On Jan. 11, 22-year-old Paiyton Pick was killed in a Centreville home.
• On Jan. 5, Elaine Mosher, 60, was killed by her partner at a home in Mahone Bay. 
• On Dec. 31, Corelee (Alisha) Smith, 40, was killed alongside her father, Bradford (Coy) Downey, in Halifax by her partner.
• On Nov. 7, a 71-year-old Cole Harbour woman was killed by her husband in their home. Police have not released her name.
• On Nov. 1, Nicole Murphy, 49, was killed by her partner in their Yarmouth home.
• On Oct. 18, Brenda Tatlock-Burke, 59, was killed by her husband, a retired RCMP officer, in their Enfield home.

The number of women and children experiencing violence who are seeking help from women's shelters in the province has increased by 182 per cent since 2019, according to the Transition House Association of Nova Scotia.  

Approximately 4,800 women and children experiencing violence accessed help from association members last year — about 13 people every day.

In September 2024, the provincial government adopted NDP Leader Claudia Chender's bill declaring domestic violence an epidemic in the province.

But advocates don't think enough is being done to address the problem.

Kristina Fifield, a trauma therapist and social worker, said community organizations that focus on prevention and support are underfunded.

She also thinks more voices need to be brought to the table.

"I've been into this work now for 16 years, and too often we're not seeing enough Indigenous, African Nova Scotians, marginalized individuals at those tables," she said.

Alexa Yakubovich, an assistant professor in community health and epidemiology at Dalhousie University, researches gender-based violence.

She said she would like to see some barriers removed, like during the COVID-19 pandemic, to help sectors work together.

She said having more sectors involved, like housing and education, would make a difference. 

"That is what's going to bring together that more primary prevention lens, by preventing the violence before it occurs."

Importance of naming victims

With the most recent intimate partner deaths, Gallant-Blackburn said she wants the women's families to know they are not alone in their grief and if they are comfortable, having their family members named is important.

"After Paula died, we felt very isolated, because people don't understand how impacting it is  …. how soul-crushing it is," she said.

When one woman who lost her own sister reached out to Gallant-Blackburn and her family, Gallant-Blackburn said it gave her strength and courage.

"Don't feel isolated, don't feel alone, don't feel that your loved one was to blame in any way. Tell her story."  

For anyone affected by family or intimate partner violence, there is support available through crisis lines and local support services. ​​If you're in immediate danger or fear for your safety or that of others around you, please call 911.

If you or someone you know is struggling, here's where to get help:

• A list of transition houses across Nova Scotia.
• Family violence resources helpline 1-855-225-0220.
• The Transition Housing Association of Nova Scotia website.
• Canada's Suicide Crisis Helpline: Call or text 988.
• Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868. Text 686868. Live chat counselling on the website.
• Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention: Find a 24-hour crisis centre.
• This guide from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health outlines how to talk about suicide with someone you're worried about.