St. Albert is a city full of walkers, people who enjoy a casual stroll along the Sturgeon River’s serene Red Willow Trail.
Now anyone walking along the river’s north side trail near the Children’s Bridge can easily spot two purple Adirondack chairs sitting on a concrete pad. For tired passers-by, the scenic spot overlooking the river and St. Albert Place, are a silent invitation to sit and reflect on nature, personal matters or the world.
Despite its singular beauty, this co-project between the City of St. Albert and the RCMP has a darker history. It recognizes November as Family Violence Prevention Month, and the two purple chairs are an offshoot of Barb’s Bench Project started in Nova Scotia in 2015.
Barb’s Bench was originally a memorial to Barbara Baillie, a woman who was murdered by her husband after enduring 25 years of violence. In 2015, her daughter and son, with the help of the Spryfield, Nova Scotia community, gathered to create a purple memorial bench in Barb’s name.
It was set in Long Lake Park, a quiet place in nature where Barb liked to walk her dog and enjoy the calming waters. The purple bench had one unique feature. It carried a plaque with telephone numbers for a help line.
Since 2015, the purple bench memorial has spread across Canada like wildfire. This year, the City of St. Albert in a partnership with local RCMP, have developed their own take on the memorial.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on site Monday, Nov. 4 with 35-plus individuals from various regional support agencies. They included Mayor Cathy Heron, city councillors, Staff Sergeant Dwayne Moore, SAIF, Family Resource Centre, Jessie’s House, and Victim Services to name a few.
Leanne MacMillan, community development coordinator for the city, first read about Barb’s Bench in 2018. She tossed around the idea of installing a bench to prevent gender-based violence. But then COVID hit, and the city performed a sharp pivot.
“In the spring of 2024, I suggested it to my colleagues. They got on board, and they carried it,” said MacMillan who assisted in the ribbon-cutting ceremony along with Heron, Director of Community Services Elizabeth Wilkie and Cpl. Morgan Kyle.
MacMillan, who grew up in Saskatchewan in a comfortable home, has worked for years helping individuals feel safe in their homes.
“If you don’t feel safe in your home, it’s terrible. It creates mental health problems and poverty problems. We want people to reach their full potential – both men and women,” MacMillan said.
Her first encounter with family violence as a teen occurred after volunteering to answer calls for Victim Services.
“It was my first call. It was a woman experiencing violence and there was violence happening at that moment. It affected me. I went to the University of Saskatoon and enrolled as a sociology major.”
She also hopes the chairs’ presence will help destigmatize family violence and encourage the community at large to step up and assist. As with Barb’s Benches, the two purple chairs will carry plaques providing contact information to local help lines.
The chairs are constructed from a combination metal-composite and painted with a long-lasting weather-resistant paint. They are bolted into a concrete pad large enough to accommodate a stroller or wheelchair so people can sit side-by-side.
MacMillan stated plaques with telephone numbers to Alberta Family Violence Info Line, Hope for Wellness Helpline for Indigenous People and Kids Help Line will be installed within six to eight weeks.
“Most of us know someone who has been affected by gender-based violence and abuse. People in these situations often go to family and friends first. If these chairs remind you of somebody, we want you to reach out and offer support.”
MacMillan reached out to St. Albert’s RCMP Detachment and Cpl. Morgan Kyle was selected as a working partner. Kyle explained the detachment is heavily invested in this program since officers are often called to deal with arguments, physical assault or child custody disputes.
She added that instances of men reporting family violence in traditional relationships and same-sex relationships has increased.
“We want people to talk about it. Domestic violence is a reality for a lot of people. Police officers often respond after something happens. These chairs help people realize they are not alone. Whether it’s for themselves or for someone else, realize you are not alone. There are resources out there. These organizations are proactive and exist to help,” Kyle said.
Mark Dixon, executive director at S.A.I.F. is also highly supportive of the chairs.
“Anything like that to start a conversation and share stories and keep an eye out for neighbours, colleagues and friends is a great thing. There are so many things we can do to bring awareness, and it all starts here,” Dixon said.
He quoted statistics of S.A.I.F. providing 2,500 individuals in 2023 with either individual counselling, group counselling or educational resources.
“There is never enough support. But the positive thing is this amazing network of partners recognizes there are many needs and are partnering to not let people fall through the cracks.”
The cost of the chairs, plaques and installation is $3,000. The city and RCMP are paying an equal share of costs.
A map to the purple chairs and information on family violence is available at https://stalbert.ca/city/fcss/publications/family-violence/.
