The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Jonathon Naylor Editor Late last year, a Flin Flon RCMP officer was scheduled to speak at a local seminar on family violence. In a sad twist of irony, he had to cancel at the last minute because he was responding to a crime _ an episode of family violence. 'That's how prevalent it is,' says Peter Muehling, a Manitoba RCMP officer who promotes family violence awareness. 'He can't come and talk on family violence because he's at it.' Muehling, who was in Flin Flon last week for another one-day seminar, says every community has family violence, with levels fluctuating. That's why the RCMP have partnered with Connie Lynne, an abuse survivor, to present seminars for other survivors or people who want to learn more about this often-hidden topic. Eight women took part in last week's Flin Flon seminar, held in the lower level of the library. A seminar was also scheduled in Denare Beach. 'Knowledge is power and that's what we bring out through these seminars,' says Lynne. 'And it's not just myself speaking, it's the interaction between the people, the participants, the people that come, that we have a different viewpoint. And every time a seminar is put on, it evolves in a totally different manner.' Lynne leads participants through a seminar that involves workbooks, reflection and thought exercises. The goal, she says, is 'to create the awareness of the cycle of domestic abuse.' Muehling, who is based in Winnipeg, says the hope is to give victims strength and to end _ not merely limit _ abuse. While Lynne has now held seminars in Flin Flon twice in recent months, she says she is more than willing to return if there is a demand.
