SENATORS’ STATEMENTS — Liz Westcott
Congratulations on Retirement
December 14, 2020
Honourable senators, I rise today to salute a champion of women’s rights on the occasion of her retirement. Liz Westcott is a woman whose work has left an indelible mark on our region. For almost 30 years, Liz has served my city of Orillia and surrounding area as Executive Director of the Green Haven Shelter for Women.
Liz has been the lifeblood behind the shelter since it opened in 1991 and has been a strong and steadfast advocate for the women and children it served. Over the years, Green Haven has weathered funding cuts while raising 20% of its operating budget. Liz found creative ways to do this, including operating a thrift shop and partnering with the arts community to put on productions that not only provided much-needed funds but shone a light on the issues of violence against women.
Liz Westcott’s legacy, among the many lives she touched, will be the newly built shelter for Green Haven, which recently opened — a project 12 years in the making.
The beautiful new building has increased bed capacity and living space to help women and their children fleeing violence, providing a safe alternative from an abusive home. They also operate a crisis line and outreach program for transition to life after life at the shelter.
Honourable senators, we know the statistics are grim. In Canada, every six days a woman is murdered by an intimate partner. Hundreds of thousands suffer violence. The biggest threat to a woman’s safety is from the person who is supposed to love her.
The pandemic has proven to add extra challenges for at-risk women. Green Haven and other shelters had to adapt to the new conditions, and find unique ways to serve their clients, who became increasingly vulnerable during lockdown, such as changing their service model from intake to outreach. But through it all, Liz Westcott and Green Haven have been a steady presence for the women in desperate need of their services. They have truly been the frontline workers.
Honourable senators, I join member of Parliament Bruce Stanton in congratulating Liz Westcott on her remarkable and steadfast service to our community. Please join me in wishing her the very best of health and happiness in her retirement. Thank you. Meegwetch.