In a rare move, the Ottawa Police Service is using the term 鈥渇emicide鈥 to describe the motivation investigators believe to be behind the killing of a 47-year-old mother.
It鈥檚 believed to be the first time a police force in Canada has used the word in the context of a murder investigation where evidence is still being gathered.
Advocates who focus on eradicating violence against women hope this will spur other police agencies to do the same and pave the way for legislation to entrench 鈥渇emicide鈥 into the criminal code of Canada.
Jennifer Zabarylo鈥檚 battered body was found inside her home in rural Ottawa on Sunday. She died of traumatic injuries. A few hours later, Ottawa Police charged her husband, Michael Zabarylo, 55, with second-degree murder after he turned himself in.
In a news release announcing the charges one day after she was killed, OPS described the death as a femicide, alleging 鈥渋t occurred in the context of intimate partner violence, which is one of the many forms of misogynist killings.鈥
In an interview with CTV National News, Deputy Chief Trish Ferguson acknowledged that adopting the term has taken lengthy internal discussions which began in 2022.
Part of the pushback came from officers who were hesitant to use a label that was not codified in law.
鈥淭hat was something investigators needed to wrap their minds around. It鈥檚 not a charge under the criminal code, but it鈥檚 a term we use to describe what took place. So homicide is still murder and femicide is the murder of a woman or girl.鈥
Ferguson says OPS officially adopted the term at the end of 2023 and that Zabarylo鈥檚 death was the first clear-cut case to meet the definition.
鈥淰iolence against women is an epidemic. This is another way for us to shed some light on what is often seen as a hidden and family matter where people should mind their own business. We鈥檙e hoping this brings the conversation to the forefront.鈥
Ferguson says OPS will use the term again in future murder investigations and may re-evaluate past cases through the same lens.
鈥淒o we go back and take a look at that? I think we can and it鈥檚 time for us to do that. I鈥檓 sure the numbers will startle people,鈥 the deputy chief said.
Edmonton Police said they defer to terms used in the criminal code, while the Toronto Police Service (TPS) said they have not yet adopted the term 鈥渇emicide.鈥 But TPS points out that in a joint investigation with the RCMP, 鈥渕isogyny鈥 was highlighted as a motivating factor when investigators laid a terrorism charge in connection to .
According to Statistics Canada, an average of 102 women and children are murdered each year.
Between 2011 and 2021, 1,125 females were murdered. In 66 per cent of those cases, the killer was an intimate partner, a husband or a boyfriend.
Brett Broadfoot says his grief is still raw and hits him in waves - sometimes daily, sometimes 鈥渉our by hour.鈥
His 17-year-old daughter and died in hospital in July. London, Ont., police responded to the call reporting domestic violence. They say that when they arrived, her 18-year-old ex-boyfriend confronted them with a knife. Police shot and killed him.
Broadfoot wants his daughter's death labelled a femicide too. He believes a more concise definition of the killing could lead to stronger legislation and more resources to thwart misogyny and violence against women.
鈥淢y daughter was afraid. That鈥檚 what these individuals do - they prey upon people and they break them down.鈥
He says that Breanna had a restraining order against her former boyfriend after he was charged with assaulting her. He says closer monitoring of the suspect and enforcement of the restraining order could have saved his daughter鈥檚 life.
Megan Walker is the Vice-Chair of the London Police board and an advocate who works to end male violence against women. Although London Police have not adopted the term 鈥渇emicide鈥 to describe their investigations, Walker points out that it was the first police board to pass a resolution to define femicide in the criminal code.
Now combined with the decision of Ottawa Police to use the term to characterize certain murder investigations, Walker says momentum is building for change.
鈥淚f we are able to legislate femicide and name it, we would have better access to research and better access to data that we need to continue to protect women from violent offenders," she said.
The concept of putting was also one of the recommendations that came out of a 2022 coroner鈥檚 inquest in Ontario, which looked at the circumstances surrounding a killing spree in the Ottawa Valley in 2015.
Anastasia Kuzyk and Nathalie Warmerdam were shot while Carol Culleton was strangled to death -- all by one man.
Two years after the inquest - femicide has yet to be added to Canada鈥檚 criminal code. According to the , 22 other countries in Latin America and Europe have specific laws recognizing the killing of women and girls as a distinct crime.
The end of the day 鈥 when school, extracurricular activities and homework are (hopefully) finally done 鈥 is the window that many kids have for downtime. It can be a struggle to convince them not to go on their phones.
U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris on Saturday accepted an invitation from CNN to debate former U.S. president Donald Trump on Oct. 23.
Twenty-seven year 麻豆影视 reporter and anchor John Vennavally-Rao shares his story of what it was like to have an ostomy bag as part of his health-care battle. 'I鈥檓 grateful for what it did to extend my life,' he writes in a personal column for CTVNews.ca.
The French presidential palace unveiled a new centre-right government Saturday, more than two months after elections that produced a hung parliament and deepened political divisions as France grapples with economic and diplomatic challenges.
For some young people, a popular method for getting a quick high is by misusing laughing gas 鈥 and lately, that鈥檚 in the form of nitrous oxide from products sold by the company Galaxy Gas.
A $2.14-billion federal loan for an Ottawa-based satellite operator has Canadian politicians arguing about whether American billionaire Elon Musk poses a national security risk.
Tattoos are becoming more common in today's society and, as a result, appear to be more acceptable in the workplace than they used to be.
Looking after an adult with severe autism can be a full-time job. Ask any parent who has a child severely affected by autism spectrum disorder 鈥 it鈥檚 a job that can get more difficult as the child becomes an adult.
An Ontario woman is among the dozens of people who have come forward to allege that they were sexually abused by London-based businessman Mohamed Al Fayed, the former chairman and owner of Harrods.
A six-year-old girl who was reported missing in northern B.C. earlier this week remains unaccounted for, and "significant resources from across the province" have joined in the search, police said Saturday.
The British Columbia election campaign is set to officially start today, with Lt.-Gov. Janet Austin issuing the writ for the Oct. 19 vote.
British Columbia Conservative Party Leader John Rustad was at a low point in his life two years ago, both personally and politically.
York Regional Police say they are looking for a homicide suspect after a wellness check led police to a body at a home in Richmond Hill early Saturday.
Toronto police say they have now identified a third person who they believe was involved in a shooting that left two men dead in North York earlier this week.
A man is fighting for his life in hospital a day after a vehicle smashed into several others in and around an intersection in Milton before flipping over.
The man charged with fatally stabbing lifelong Banff resident Ethan Enns-Goneau in 2022 has been convicted of second-degree murder.
A robust crew of volunteers are raising funds and awareness for first responders and veterans Saturday at Calgary police headquarters in northeast Calgary.
Heading into Friday鈥檚 game against the Calgary Stampeders, quarterback Trevor Harris said he and his Saskatchewan Roughriders were "ready to rock."
The 17th annual Canada Army Run is scheduled to take place Sunday in Ottawa, impacting traffic throughout downtown.
A joint police operation to promote safe driving on Highway 417 in the Ottawa area has resulted in laying dozens of charges in three hours Friday, according to the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).
The family of a 30-year-old woman from eastern Ontario and the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) are renewing a call asking for help finding her, one year after she went missing.
Montrealers can get used to taking a stroll on several car-free streets during the summer in the years to come thanks to a new commitment from the city.
Some residents in Notre-Dame-de-Gr芒ce (NDG) are raising concerns about the decision to repave the de Maisonneuve bike path, arguing that other roads in the borough should be a higher priority.
Montreal Police (SPVM) say residents of a home in the Saint-Laurent borough were evacuated early Saturday morning after a vehicle fire spread to the house.
Tattoos are becoming more common in today's society and, as a result, appear to be more acceptable in the workplace than they used to be.
The death of the Tragically Hip鈥檚 lead singer Gord Downie united fans across Canada in their grief, but in many ways pulled his bandmates apart.
The Lethbridge Hurricanes kicked off the 2024-25 season on a winning note Friday night, defeating the Edmonton Oil Kings 3-1 in a game played at VisitLethbridge.com Arena.
Halifax Regional Police warned the public of a series of high-value thefts targeting retail stores Friday.
The Lower Sackville area in Nova Scotia has access to a new section of trail, according to a news release from the government of Canada on Saturday.
Kings District RCMP in Prince Edward Island is investigating a fatal, single-vehicle crash that occurred on 48 Road in Head of Cardigan on Friday.
The search for a missing six-year-old boy in Shamattawa is continuing Friday as RCMP hope recent tips can help lead to a happy conclusion.
A Winnipeg man is behind bars after a stolen motorcycle he was filling up with gas suddenly caught fire.
While slang may come and go, experts say the phenomenon behind them, which constantly churns out brand-new bon mots, is as old as language itself.
The last two months after losing her daughter Bella have been extremely difficult for Kyla Thomson.
Regina police arrested three youths in connection to a bear mace incident at a Regina high school on Friday.
Heading into Friday's game against the Calgary Stampeders, quarterback Trevor Harris said he and his Saskatchewan Roughriders were "ready to rock."
Protests were held in front of Kitchener City Hall on Friday, both for and against LGBTQ2S+ inclusive education and queer rights in schools.
The provincial government is considering new rules to restrict a municipality鈥檚 ability to install new bike lanes if it means traffic lanes would be removed.
Police said the pedestrian, a 52-year-old man, was taken to an out-of-region hospital with life-threatening injuries and the driver of the vehicle failed to remain at the scene.
Heading into Friday's game against the Calgary Stampeders, quarterback Trevor Harris said he and his Saskatchewan Roughriders were "ready to rock."
The City of Saskatoon is proposing changes to the proposed downtown shelter site plan following feedback from nearby residents and businesses.
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Emergency crews in northern Ontario found the bodies of four people inside a home where a fire broke out Thursday night.
A $2.14-billion federal loan for an Ottawa-based satellite operator has Canadian politicians arguing about whether American billionaire Elon Musk poses a national security risk.
An Ontario woman is among the dozens of people who have come forward to allege that they were sexually abused by London-based businessman Mohamed Al Fayed, the former chairman and owner of Harrods.
A motorcyclist has died following a serious collision that took place in London鈥檚 south end on Friday afternoon.
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The St. Thomas police is asking the public for help locating a missing man.
A man is facing numerous drug trafficking charges after Dufferin OPP seized a large assortment of drugs and weapons in Orangeville earlier this week.
One person is in hospital after an e-bike crash in Orillia on Thursday.
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The St. Clair College golf teams were successful at the Niagara Knights Invitational tournament on Friday.
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A new report released by Statistics Canada has analyzed the rate of post-secondary attendance between young immigrants and domestic students.
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The British Columbia election campaign is set to officially start today, with Lt.-Gov. Janet Austin issuing the writ for the Oct. 19 vote.
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The Red Bridge, a historic landmark in Kamloops, B.C., was completely destroyed by fire early Thursday morning.
Animal protection officers in British Columbia have rescued three pit bulls 鈥 including one that gave birth to 10 puppies 鈥 from a rat-infested home in Kelowna.
Despite the heavy rain, plenty of muscle turned up for United Way鈥檚 annual Pull the Bus fundraiser in Lethbridge Friday.
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The Lethbridge Hurricanes kicked off the 2024-25 season on a winning note Friday night, defeating the Edmonton Oil Kings 3-1 in a game played at VisitLethbridge.com Arena.
A 26-year-old driver from Surrey, B.C., has been charged with three counts of criminal negligence causing death and bodily harm in a crash that killed two youths in northern Ontario last year.
Ontario Provincial Police say three suspects from southern Ontario have been charged and drugs worth $300,000 have been seized following a traffic stop Sept. 16.
A Brampton driver, 27, was charged this week when northern Ontario police stopped the SUV he was driving on Highway 17 after a reported shooting and found more than $100,000 in cash.
Newfoundland and Labrador's chief medical officer is monitoring the rise of whooping cough infections across the province as cases of the highly contagious disease continue to grow across Canada.
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An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.
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A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.
Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.
The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.
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A $2.14-billion federal loan for an Ottawa-based satellite operator has Canadian politicians arguing about whether American billionaire Elon Musk poses a national security risk.
Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly says close to 45,000 Canadians are in Lebanon, months after warning there is no guarantee Ottawa can evacuate them if the situation deteriorates further.
The federal firearm buyback program has cost taxpayers nearly $67.2 million since it was announced in 2020, but it still hasn't collected a single gun.
For some young people, a popular method for getting a quick high is by misusing laughing gas 鈥 and lately, that鈥檚 in the form of nitrous oxide from products sold by the company Galaxy Gas.
Looking after an adult with severe autism can be a full-time job. Ask any parent who has a child severely affected by autism spectrum disorder 鈥 it鈥檚 a job that can get more difficult as the child becomes an adult.
Canada is setting aside $151 million for the fight to eradicate polio worldwide. International Development Minister Ahmed Hussen announced the news at a Rotary International conference in Toronto.
If something looks too good to be true, it might be. That's the message from Saskatchewan horticulturists after customers have come into their stores hoping to buy purple apple trees this month.
The owner of the shuttered Three Mile Island nuclear power plant said Friday that it plans to restart the reactor under a 20-year agreement that calls for tech giant Microsoft to buy the power to supply its data centers with carbon-free energy.
Lebanese authorities on Thursday banned walkie-talkies and pagers from being taken on flights from Beirut airport, the National News Agency reported, after thousands of such devices exploded during a deadly attack on Hezbollah this week.
Kathryn Crosby, who appeared in such movies as 'The 7th Voyage of Sinbad', 'Anatomy of a Murder,' and 'Operation Mad Ball' before marrying famed singer and Oscar-winning actor Bing Crosby, has died. She was 90.fff
'Saturday Night Live' will have a slew of famous faces to help kick off its historic 50th season when the show returns later this month.
The death of the Tragically Hip鈥檚 lead singer Gord Downie united fans across Canada in their grief, but in many ways pulled his bandmates apart.
It is not a great time to be a coffee drinker. In general, coffee bean prices are the highest they've been in more than a decade.
Experts say rising team valuations and the desire to forge a legacy are likely at the heart of what motivated Rogers Communications Inc. executive chair Edward Rogers to bolster the company's portfolio of Toronto professional sports teams.
Boeing said on Friday the head of the company's troubled defence, space and security unit is leaving the planemaker effective immediately.
Tattoos are becoming more common in today's society and, as a result, appear to be more acceptable in the workplace than they used to be.
The end of the day 鈥 when school, extracurricular activities and homework are (hopefully) finally done 鈥 is the window that many kids have for downtime. It can be a struggle to convince them not to go on their phones.
While slang may come and go, experts say the phenomenon behind them, which constantly churns out brand-new bon mots, is as old as language itself.
Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.
Andre De Grasse, fresh off of winning Olympic gold in the 4x100-metre rally in Paris 2024, has been in Toronto for the latest few weeks as part of the Toronto International Film Festival.
Heading into Friday鈥檚 game against the Calgary Stampeders, quarterback Trevor Harris said he and his Saskatchewan Roughriders were "ready to rock."
General Motors (GM) has issued a recall for 38,000 vehicles for safety risks related to a software glitch, Transport Canada reported in a notice on Wednesday.
Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has accused Tesla CEO Elon Musk of 'remotely disabling' his Cybertruck, which had been sent to the frontline of Russia's war in Ukraine.
An Ontario man says it is 'unfair' to pay a $1,500 insurance surcharge because his four-year-old SUV is at a higher risk of being stolen.
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