VIDEO: Local families hit by tragedies praise unanimous passing of coercive control bill

Two local groups that were each affected by tragic murders in 2023 are celebrating after a vote to add coercive control to the Criminal Code of Canada was passed unanimously on Wednesday and is on its way to the Senate.

Dan Jennings and his wife Michelle were at Parliament Hill this week as Bill C332, which seeks to add coercive control to the Criminal Code of Canada, was debated and faced a final vote in the House of Commons on Wednesday.

The private member's bill, introduced by NDP MP Laurel Collins, had made its way through committee with some changes and was being presented for its final debate on Tuesday, during which Collins told the story of Jennings' daughter Caitlin, as well as Angie Sweeney.

Both women were killed last year in two different incidents: Caitlin in London, Ont. last July and Angie during a mass murder-suicide in Sault Ste. Marie in October.

Reached by phone on Thursday, Jennings said he was especially touched that Collins noted his own words — that if coercive control had been law he believes his daughter would still be alive today — during her address to the House of Commons.

"It wasn't just her name in passing, she made it personal," Jennings said of Collins' speech. "I was really impressed."

Jennings met with Collins and NDP party leader Jagmeet Singh, as well as a separate meeting with local MP Terry Sheehan, where he had a brief introduction to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

When it came time for the final vote, Jennings watched as every single vote was recorded in favour of the bill.

"I didn't expect unanimous call, but it was just one by one with the MPs standing up," Jennings said of the vote. "You would have to be one cold-hearted person to not support this and I'm glad everyone voted with their heart."

After months of feeling helpless in the wake of his daughter's death, Jennings said the advocacy work he and the Caitlin's Heard group have accomplished is helping him to find some peace in the aftermath of the tragedy.

"Right now we're just feeling a sense of relief, a feeling of optimism and with a sense of purpose," said Jennings. "It shows that we are being heard, we are being listened to and, most importantly, the politicians seem to care."

The charges against the man accused in Caitlin's death are still inching through the courts, with Jennings creating regular updates on the Caitlin's Heard Facebook group.

Jennings promises to continue advocating for the bill to become law and has committed to writing every member of the Senate in hopes of seeing it passed in the upper chamber.

Also in attendance during the debate and vote were members of Angie's Angels, the group created by friends and family of Angie Sweeney after her death on Oct. 23 at the hands of ex-boyfriend Bobbie Hallaert.

Lindsay Stewart, a longtime friend of Angie, was in the gallery Tuesday and Wednesday with fellow friend Renee Buczel, as well as Angie's father and mother Brian and Suzanne and brother Brian Jr.

Stewart said the passing of the bill is one small check mark on a long list of things the group is setting out to do in Angie's memory.

"We're very happy about this, but we're not quite finished yet," Stewart said on Thursday.

Stewart said there was a range of emotions going through everybody in the gallery in support of the bill, with an eventual feeling of relief as it was passed. She said she believed the real-life stories of Angie and Caitlin, among others, helped to lead to the unanimous vote in favour of the bill.

"It helped to open their eyes to the severity of the issues and they seemed engaged in the conversation," Stewart said about the real-life stories that were shared in the House. "To us it was kind of a common sense bill and made total sense."

Stewart said Angie's Angels is also planning to do a letter-writing campaign to every member of the Senate to show their support in making the bill into law.

"The reason why we're doing this is to make some meaningful change," said Stewart. "We're doing it for Angie and for everybody who is affected by intimate partner violence."