durhamregion.com | This Week | Thursday, December 8, 2022 | 6 Whitby Civic Recreation Complex, 555 Rossland Road East Enjoy hot chocolate, carollers, giveaways, great photos and even Santa among the thousands of twinkling holiday lights in the park. HOLIDAY POP-UP Tuesday, December 13 | 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. whitby.ca/LightsTheNight See a complete listing of holiday events at Dec. 6 is the National Day of Action and Remembrance on Violence Against Women, a day to remember the 14 young women killed at Polytechnique Montréal on De. 6, 1989 and to take action against gender-based violence. Data from Statistics Canada in 2018 shows 44 per cent of women reported experiencing some form of psychological, physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime. Do you know what to do if someone you know is experiencing violence? A survey by the Canadian Women's Foundation shows only one in six people in Canada are very confident that they would know what to say or do to support someone experiencing sexual or emotional abuse, and one in five are very confident that they would know what to say or do to support someone experiencing physical abuse. Anyone can be abused -- but women, girls and gender-diverse people face a higher risk of gender-based violence. The risk is even higher for Indigenous and racialized women, trans and nonbinary people, and women who are experiencing homelessness or are underhoused. In 2020, the Canadian Women's Foundation and its partners launched the Signal for Help hand signal in response to an increased risk of gender-based violence during the pandemic. The one-handed signal can be used silently and discreetly, made by tucking the thumb into the palm, then covering the thumb with four fingers. Signal for Help signifies "reach out to me safely"; it is not necessarily a request to call police. Here are some tips from the Canadian Women's Foundation on what to do if someone you know is experiencing abuse and how to respond if you see someone use the Signal for Help. SUPPORTING SOMEONE WHO IS EXPERIENCING ABUSE • Believe what they are telling you, be supportive and listen • Ask what you can do to help • Be non-judgmental and let them make their own decisions • Offer to provide child care while they seek help • Offer your home or another location as a safe space • Support them to create a safety plan, which could include packing a small bag of essentials or opening a personal bank account IF YOU SEE SOMEONE USE THE SIGNAL FOR HELP SIGN • Check in with them safely to find out what they need you to do • Send a text, WhatsApp message or email and ask general questions like "how are you doing?" or "get in touch when you can." Keep in mind that people in violent relationships may be closely monitored by their partner. • If you call, ask questions that can be answered with a "yes" or "no" such as "are you safe?" or "should I look for services that might help and call you back?" • If the person experiencing violence needs to be connected to services, visit canadianwomen.org/support-services for national and provincial services including crisis lines and shelters. WHAT TO DO IF SOMEONE YOU KNOW IS EXPERIENCING GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE NEWS DATA SHOWS 44 PER CENT OF WOMEN EXPERIENCE PSYCHOLOGICAL, PHYSICAL OR SEXUAL VIOLENCE FROM AN INTIMATE PARTNER IN THEIR LIFETIME The social isolation measures necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic are making it more difficult for those who are at risk of abuse or violence to safely reach out for help. "Signal for Help" is a simple one-handed sign someone can use on a video call. It can help a person silently show they need help and want someone to check in with them in a safe way. https://canadianwomen.org/signal-for-help/ Canadian Women's Foundation image The Town of Whitby is asking residents to weigh on how they use current parks and rec facilities, and what new facilities they would like to see. A survey has been launched as Whitby prepares a new parks and recreation master plan, and town officials want to know where residents want to see dollars invested. The range of options include arenas, pools, the waterfront, a marina as well as smaller projects like tennis, pickleball and basketball courts. A new master plan will include strategies for new parks and recreation amenities, service standards and policies, and it will outline required improvements to parks, trails and open spaces. To participate, visit connectwhitby.ca/ParksAndRecreation. The survey will be available until Jan. 30 and residents can also subscribe to the project page to get information about community engagement sessions. POOLS, PICKLEBALL OR BASKETBALL: WHITBY LOOKING FOR FEEDBACK ON NEW REC FACILITIES REKA SZEKELY rszekely@ durhamregion.com A man was arrested after reports of a gun being fired in a residential neighbourhood in Whitby. Officers responding to the area of Brock Street and Rossland Road round 9:15 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 29 located a suspect armed with a gun and took him into custody, Durham police said. A handgun was recovered and no injuries were reported, police said. "The suspect had discharged the firearm outdoors, in a residential plaza," police said. Jahsiah Robertson, 21, of Oshawa, faces charges including reckless discharge of a firearm, possessing a loaded restricted or prohibited firearm and possession of a firearm knowing the serial number was tampered with. GUN SEIZED, MAN CHARGED AFTER SHOTS FIRED IN WHITBY