“I think people in Jasper know more about us [and are aware of what victims services has to offer],” said program coordinator Paul Schmidt.
JVSU board members, advocates and affiliates contribute to the program’s success, he added.
The variety of issues victims services deal with are different in each community, said Julie Peacock, director of victim services for the Ministry of Justice and Solicitor General.
She noted two crime trends that have increased provincially and nationally— homicides and elder abuse. Human trafficking is “another victimization trend we’re trying to address over the coming years.”
The Ministry of Justice and Solicitor General contributes $30 million annually to victim services in the province. There have been budget cuts, but Peacock hasn’t heard about anything that will cause a significant impact to this funding.
Money-wise, JVSU’s first three-year grant was approved. It’s nice to know that there’s some guaranteed funding for a certain period of time, said Schmidt.
JVSU hopes to have another golf tournament fundraiser as successful as last year’s. The event had a waiting list of 86 golfers and raised almost $17,000 for the organization.
This year’s golf tournament is on Sept. 6 at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge Golf Club.
