Digital Lifelines for Ontario Women in Crisis

Rogers Expands Phone Program to Women’s Shelters and Transition Houses Across Ontario

Phones and plans to 100 Ontario shelters and transition houses to help women and their children, including Indigenous women, escape violence and abuse

Rogers enabling safe, critical connectivity for women in crisis as shelters see a spike in frequency and severity of violence during the pandemic

Recently announced wireless network expansion to increase service and improve safety in Eastern Ontario

TORONTO, April 26, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rogers Communications today announced it has expanded its phone and plan program to connect more Ontario women and their children with digital lifelines and support to escape violence and abuse. Rogers has increased its support from last year, by donating phones and plans to 100 Ontario women’s shelters and transition houses in Rogers wireless coverage areas during this third wave of the pandemic. As the severity and frequency of domestic violence and demand for safe shelter space continues to rise following initial pandemic lockdowns a year ago, Rogers is expanding its efforts to drive awareness and safe connectivity to support the most vulnerable, including the recently announced network expansion across Eastern Ontario to enable more safe connectivity.

Last spring, at the start of the pandemic, Rogers launched a national program with Women’s Shelters Canada to provide hundreds of phones and plans to more than 100 shelters, including those across Ontario, in addition to using the reach of its platforms and channels to help increase awareness of the domestic violence crisis. With growing waitlists for women’s shelters and transition houses, frontline crisis workers say these devices will continue to save women’s lives by keeping them safely connected to critical resources, particularly during lockdowns. The phone donation program is provided in collaboration with Motorola and LG.

Today’s announcement includes support for women’s shelters in Alliston, Belleville, Bracebridge, Brockville, City of Greater Sudbury, Cobourg, Cornwall, Durham Region, Elliott Lake, Guelph, Wellington, Hamilton, Huntsville, Kitchener, Lambton County, Lanark County, Lindsay, London, Marathon, Mattawa, Mississauga, Mississauga First Nation, Blind River, Nipissing, Nipissing First Nation, Orillia, Ottawa, Oxford, Parry Sound, Region of Peel, Peterborough, Renfrew County, Regional Municipality of Niagara, Roseneath, Sarnia, Simcoe County, Sioux Lookout, Stratford, Strathroy Caradoc, Timmins, Toronto, Windsor, Woodstock, and York Region.