Thank you, Madam Chair.
I'm sincerely grateful to the six witnesses who are with us today.
It has already been pointed out that some of you have testified before the committee in connection with other studies, but what we're hearing today about coercive control is troubling. We need to do better and find ways to look at the specific things that have been discussed today.
My first question is for Ms. Lafantaisie Renaud. I salute the Horizon Women's Centre for the work it has been doing for some 30 years in West Nipissing. I've visited the centre, and I know how dedicated you and your staff are to the community.
We tend to hear from a lot of witnesses from urban centres who have access to many nearby resources. It's a little different for you, because your centre is located in a small municipality. Not only does it provide services in English and French, but a large proportion of its clients are first nations. So you have three specific types of clients.
Can you tell us about the challenges in terms of resources or the lack thereof to help people? The centre is located four hours from Toronto, and Sudbury and North Bay are pretty far away by road.
What challenges do you face when you're trying to help women and children, in terms of housing or any other services you provide?