Emergency Information, Organizations, and Resources

Vancouver Island Crisis Line: 1-888-494-3888 (available 24-hours). The Vancouver Island Crisis Line can provide support, information, and referrals. They also provide support over text and online chat–visit their website for more information.

The Victoria Sexual Assault Centre’s Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) is available to anyone who has been assaulted in the past week and provides 24-hour all-gender crisis support, information and referrals, including information on safety planning. SART can be accessed via the Vancouver Island Crisis Line: 1-888-494-3888.

Women Against Violence Against Women: 1-877-392-7583 (available 24-hours). WAVAW provides immediate crisis and long-term support services to survivors of sexualized violence who have shared experiences of gender marginalization: cis and trans women, Two-Spirit, trans and/or non-binary people. They advocate for social and systemic change through education, outreach and activism. (Based in Vancouver.)

Battered Women’s Support Services: 604-687-1867 (available 24-hours). BWSS provides emotional support, information, and referrals to community resources; specific information about coping; and can help create a safety plan for women who are dealing with violence and/or the effects of abuse. They are committed to providing support to transgender, two-spirit, and non-binary survivors as well. (Based in Vancouver.)

Victoria Women’s Transition House: 250-385-6611 (available 24-hours). The Victoria Women’s Transition House Society collaborates, advocates, and educates to address and prevent intimate partner violence and abuse of women and children through supportive shelter, housing, counselling and other community-based services.

Community-Led Crisis Response Team: 250-818-2454 (currently delivered between 2pm and 9pm, Monday through Friday)

A program of AVI Health and Community Services, is funded by the Province of British Columbia and the Canadian Mental Health Association. CLCR is a peer-assisted care program and a mobile crisis response team led by persons with lived/living experience and mental health professionals, who are able to de-escalate crises and develop community care plans with persons experiencing crisis. The CLCR Team is an alternate approach to responding to someone in crisis that focuses on health, well-being and community support.  Utilizing a community-based, client-centered, trauma-informed response, a peer-assisted model of care has been proven to help individuals navigate to mental and social care services and reduce engagement with the justice system and emergency services. For inquiries related to the Community Led Crisis Response Program contact Lacey Mesley at . 

KUU-US Crisis Line: 1-800-588-8717 (available 24-hours). KUU-US provides crisis support for Indigenous people throughout British Columbia. Once the crisis issue has been identified, the level of severity for call handling is determined. The goal is to establish a non-judgmental approach to listening and problem solving. A support system is put into place where the caller is brought back to a pre-crisis state. (Based in Port Alberni.)

Trans Lifeline: 1-877-330-6366 (available 7am to 1am every day). Trans Lifeline provides culturally competent services to trans and gender-nonconforming people in crisis.

Youthspace: available by text 6pm to midnight every day: 778-783-0177 or by online chat. Youthspace is an online support network for youth up to 30 years. While the website itself is accessible to anyone, services are directed at young people residing in southern Vancouver Island or the Gulf Islands.

UVic Campus Security: 250-721-7599 (available 24-hours). Campus Security officers can respond to health and safety concerns in relation to sexualized violence. They can connect survivors and those impacted by sexualized violence to resources on and off-campus, and help create personal safety plans.