A new house is coming to Wasaga Beach, bringing much-needed beds and support for women and children. Crews are hard at work preparing the new “My Friend’s House” for opening. This will be the organization’s third property in the South Georgian Bay area, helping to provide safety and support for women and children. “We have women who have great jobs, and we have people who are dealing with some intergenerational poverty. There really is no type of woman calling. It’s every woman that we are seeing,” says Samantha Jones, Executive Director of My Friend’s House. After 34 years operating from one location in Collingwood, My Friend’s House acquired a second property in the community last spring to serve as a transitional home. The new house in Wasaga Beach will feature 17 crisis beds and 10 transitional spaces, in addition to the 16 beds already available in town. The facility will offer much-needed counselling, legal advice, children’s services and housing support. “On average, the OPP receives a call related to intimate partner violence every 14 minutes,” says Det. Const. Nicola Morris of the OPP. Police services across the province are joining organizations in recognizing Woman Abuse Prevention Month, raising awareness about gender-based and intimate partner violence. The OPP says incidents increased by 34 per cent between 2024 and 2025. “Expanding the number of beds means more survivors of intimate partner violence and their children can access safe accommodation and the supports they need, whether that’s housing support, employment support, or a safe shelter. It’s also available when they need it most, during that critical moment when they are escaping their situation,” says Det. Const. Morris. The Ontario Association of Interval and Transition Houses says the numbers are especially concerning in Simcoe County. “We have actually seen more intimate partner femicides in this region than when we look at the provincial numbers. We know that almost 70 per cent of the femicides in Simcoe County have been related to intimate partner violence related,” says Marlene Ham of the Ontario Association of Interval and Transition Houses. The new shelter in Wasaga Beach is expected to open in the new year. The organization received more than 7,000 calls last year alone and was forced to turn away hundreds of women because of a lack of space.
