The mother of a murdered Kanata woman is planting the seeds for a project to bring attention to women who have been victims of violence.

Yvonne Harvey plans to erect a garden and monument in Kanata to honour “all women who have died at the hands of violence.”

“We’ve got to start raising the profile of this social problem,” said Harvey, whose daughter was murdered in 2007.

“We still have a societal shame.”

Chrissy Predham, a longtime Kanata resident, was killed in Newfoundland in 2007, leaving behind an infant daughter.

Harvey filed an affidavit with the Newfoundland Supreme Court last year stating that her daughter was in an abusive relationship with her estranged husband before she was slain.

No one has been charged in the killing.

Harvey envisions a non-denominational Garden of Reflection in north Kanata complete with a monument, surrounded by trees planted in memory of victims of abuse.

A monument of the same nature already exists at Walter Baker Park in Kanata.

“I have no objection to having one,” said Kanata North Coun. Marianne Wilkinson, “but I don’t know if we need two.”

Wilkinson said she would like to see Harvey’s concept incorporated into the existing monument, located near a pond in the park.

Kia Rainbow, manager of Chrysalis House, Kanata’s shelter for abused women and children, said the more memorials to bring the issue to the public's attention, the better.

“I think that whenever anyone wants to create a memorial for women who have been victims of violence, it's wonderful,” said Rainbow. “You could have 50 of those and it would be good.”

At very least, Rainbow would like to see Kanata’s existing memorial made more visible to the public.

“The one at Walter Baker Park is very hidden so people don't really see it,” she said.

Harvey is still brainstorming the project's details and plans to come up with more specifics in the new year.

NO PROTECTION

Though there are many services available to victims of abuse, the system isn’t perfect, said Harvey.

Chrysalis House has 25 beds but still turns away about six women a day, according to the shelter's manager.

“We’re telling them they don’t have to tolerate this (treatment),” said Harvey, but they’re then turned away from housing. “A lot of people give up because it is painful.”

Chrissy, Harvey’s daughter, didn’t have a place to go when she left her husband.

“When Chrissy realized she had entered into this (volatile) relationship … she made arrangements to take her daughter and move into her own home,” said Harvey. “But there’s no protection.”

The system failed Chrissy, said her mother.

“Chrissy did everything right,” said Harvey.

“The problem was that we don’t have laws in place to deter that kind of a crime.”

The garden might help others get over their pain but Harvey doesn’t think she’ll ever get over hers.

“I don’t think I’m ever going to be able to do that,” she said. “It’s too late for me.”

Many Ottawa women and children have been victimized in the last few years, said Harvey, including her daughter, Jennifer Teague and Ardeth Wood.

She hopes the garden will start a public discussion or at very least serve as a beacon to victims in their time of grief.