The Government of British Columbia, Encana and the Ending Violence Association of B.C. (EVA BC) have partnered to create and launch a new training video that brings the successful “Be More Than a Bystander” campaign aimed at ending violence against women to the resource industry.

Be More Than a Bystander is an educational and awareness campaign that addresses violence against women and girls by providing tools and practical ideas about how to communicate that violence is not acceptable.

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• identify risks and respond appropriately to violence against women;
• learn about respect for each other to foster safe and healthy workplaces; and
• raise awareness that the effects of violence against women are not limited to the home.

EVA BC is a registered provincial charity that provides support and training for more than 240 programs throughout B.C. that work with survivors of domestic and sexual violence. EVA BC spearheaded the Be More Than a Bystander partnership with the BC Lions Football Club, the Ministry of Children and Family Development, Status of Women in Canada and Encana Corporation in July 2011.

Working with WorkSafeBC, the Government of British Columbia has made addressing violence in the workplace a priority, including bullying and harassment.

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Quotes:

Shirley Bond, Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Minister Responsible for Labour –

“Violence against women is unacceptable. By partnering with great organizations like the Ending Violence Association, the BC Lions and Encana on this training video we can build on the success of the Be More Than a Bystander program. We hope employers in the resources sector will adopt this video as part of their employee training so that workplaces are places where violence against women is eliminated.”

Tracy Porteous, executive director, Ending Violence Association of B.C. –

“Close to 70% of Canadians tell researchers they know a woman who has been abused or assaulted yet very few people know what to say or what to do should abuse or violence appear in their midst. The Bystander campaign is changing that and the video being released today for the resource industry will help us expand our reach to thousands more people. Hats off to the resource sector for joining the Province, EVA BC and the BC Lions in our efforts to break the silence on violence against women.”

Richard Dunn, vice president, government relations, Encana –

“At Encana and across the industry, the health and safety of our workers is our number one priority. We have policies in place for people who are feeling threatened or harassed, but we wanted to go beyond that and empower people in our industry to stand up and really be more than a bystander when they see things happening that they know aren’t right. This video is a start to giving them the tools to do that.”

Dennis Skulsky, president and CEO, BC Lions Football Club –

“For the past five years, the BC Lions Football Club has been a proud partner of the Be More Than a Bystander program. Today’s training video announcement is another bold and innovative step towards eradicating violence and harassment of women both in the home and in the workplace. Thousands of British Columbians are affected by these issues each day and recognizing that the workplace can be an equally critical point of contact to educate and change behaviours will help make a difference in our community.

“Our sincere thanks to Encana, EVA BC and the Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training for their ongoing support of the Be More Than a Bystander program and their contributions to make this video possible.”

Quick Facts:

• This video builds on the work of the B.C. government, EVA BC, the BC Lions Football Club, Encana and other partners to end violence against women.
• Addressing the effects of violence against women in the workforce also increases productivity by creating healthier and safer workers and workplaces, and reducing absenteeism.
• The B.C. government commits more than $70 million per year in prevention and intervention services and programs to help families involved in domestic violence and other crimes.
• As a founding partner of the Be More Than a Bystander campaign, the Ministry of Children and Family Development has provided a total of more than $1.1 million in support.
• The Province’s social media and radio campaign – #SaySomething – launched in March 2015, built on the momentum of B.C.’s Provincial Domestic Violence Plan, and was one of the first steps in government’s broader strategy for a violence-free B.C.
• The Provincial Office of Domestic Violence (PODV) was created in March 2012 as the permanent lead for the B.C. government, focussed on strengthening the services and supports available for children, women and families affected by domestic violence.
• In February 2014, PODV’s co-ordinating efforts led to the release of a $5.5‐million Provincial Domestic Violence Plan. The plan delivers on government’s commitment to make B.C. a safer place for women, children and anyone who has been affected by domestic violence.

Learn More:

Watch the new training video: trailer: http://ow.ly/10CNH2 or full length: http://ow.ly/10CNPo

For more information on the Ending Violence Association of B.C., visit: http://endingviolence.org/

Learn more about Be More Than a Bystander: http://endingviolence.org/prevention-programs/be-more-than-a-bystander/

To read the Provincial Domestic Violence Plan and learn more about the Provincial Office of Domestic Violence, visit: www.mcf.gov.bc.ca/podv/index.htm

To learn more about WorkSafeBC’s domestic violence resources, please visit: http://www2.worksafebc.com/Topics/Violence/Resources-DomesticViolence.asp

To learn about the Province’s #SaySomething social media campaign, visit: http://saysomethingbc.ca/

To find out more about domestic violence in B.C., and to learn what to do if you have a friend or family member who is being abused, visit: www.domesticviolencebc.ca or www.victimlinkbc.ca

To learn more about Encana, visit: www.encana.com/about/