'People will suffer': Albertans express concerns over province's new regional victim services model

Alberta's provincial flag. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

A new regional model for victim services that rolled out this week is prompting major concerns from Albertans who've utilized the program, and for former social workers who worry that the proper level of care won't be provided.

On Oct. 1, Alberta's UCP government implemented a victim services regional model 'to improve stability, consistency and sustainability of police-based victim services.'

As a result, the province terminated funding to all RCMP-based victim service units in Alberta, and has now installed four regional victim serving societies (western, eastern, central and southern) to take over operations.

The original system had relied on local boards with paid and volunteer staff that helped victims of crime navigate the court system.

Under the new model, the government says it will provide more stable funding, add coverage to communities that lacked victim services and employ more full-time equivalents. 

But Paul McLauchlin, president of Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA) and the reeve of Ponoka County, says his area isn't receiving the same level of service. 

He notes that the town of Rimbey, which is located within Ponoka County, used to have a full-time person dedicated to victim services, but says that's no longer the case, as the position has been reduced to half-time under the new model.

"Full-time equivalents are increasing, but the number of full-time equivalents that actually have interaction with people that are victims of crime or dealing with tragedy in their community, those are decreasing," McLauchlin said.

"Not having the full-time equivalent in my community is a big issue, because these are the folks that deal with victims of crime, but also help with court support preparation. What this is, honestly, and it's not even close to veiled, is a way to actually hamstring the RCMP to start a provincial police force.

"This has been poorly delivered, and it's regretful that they've even done this."

Province responds

The switch to four regional boards to replace the 62 victim service units across the province was first announced in 2022 by former Alberta justice minister Tyler Shandro.

The RMA says the new model will significantly reduce front-line help available for victims, but the province disagrees.

Arthur Green, press secretary for Public Safety and Emergency Services Minister Mike Ellis, said the number of full-time equivalents has increased from 130 to 153 positions.

Green also said 14 areas didn't have victim services, and the new model would ensure every RCMP detachment in Alberta would now have access.

As for how many people would work full-time positions, the province says regional societies are independent and would make their own staffing decisions for specific units in their regions.

Ellis says some rural mayors are happy with the new approach.

In a statement to CTV News, Ellis says Alberta's government has committed $26.7 million per year for victim services, an increase from $20 million.

"While support staff will work in the head offices, each RCMP detachment will still have a local navigator to work with victims in person," Ellis said.

"In addition to this increase in the number of frontline staff, they will be supported by up to 10 regional staff. Regional staff will take on administration that was previously handled by front-line staff, leaving them more time to support victims directly."

Ellis adds that the new fully funded model eliminates the need for RCMP-based victim services staff to fundraise money or ask municipalities for additional funding.

The new model will be assessed on data collected in the first year of operations.

'It's absolutely cruel'

In the summer of 2022, Corey MacPherson experienced the worst heartache of her life when she was informed that an impaired driver had caused the deaths of her daughter Macy Boyce, 20, and Boyce's boyfriend, Ethan Halford, 21.

 "From 5:30 a.m. on June 18, 2022, until now, victim services in the rural area of Three Hills was connected to our family," she said.

"This UCP cut will affect the people in this province that are already going through the most horrific things and don't know where to go and won't have a solid, maintained, consistent caring connection from somebody in their own community."

MacPherson notes that community members in Three Hills embraced her family and provided essential support, but she worries a regional model will remove that deeply needed connection.

"These crimes happen all over this province, and it shouldn't just be municipalities that have access to the citizens to help them."

"It's traumatizing, it's absolutely cruel.

"The citizens of Alberta deserve to be cared for at the worst time in their life, and that shouldn't be taken away."

'People will suffer': former victim services worker

Former Three Hills victim services program manager Carolyn Kung agrees that the change to a regional model puts proper care levels at risk.

"Because of that, people will suffer," she said. "That's one thing about if you had a volunteer board who just fundraise to make sure that we had full-time person in these kinds of places. Now we don't have that."

"We got somebody who's in charge of the program managers, and they're basically overseeing it, all so the program is just costing a lot more money, and they're not having volunteers in each program that were passionate about their communities doing that anymore."

The move to a regional victim services program is also especially concerning for Deborah Reid who was the executive director of the now dissolved Airdrie and District Victims Society (ADVAS)

"The redesign is not something that I've supported or wanted to be affiliated with, which is why I chose not to apply for the newly created positions," she said.

"I do wish the new agency every success, and I hope they enjoy supporting and caring for the community as much as I did."

Reid added that it "takes a very special person" to serve people in crisis that are experiencing extreme tragedy.