On Dec. 9, 2025, the City of Kingston and the Kingston Frontenac Anti-Violence Coordinating Committee (KFACC) launched “See It. Name It. Change It!” in Kingston, Ontario, a new public-education campaign aimed at tackling intimate partner violence, according to Kingstonist. The campaign follows the city’s October 2023 declaration of IPV as an epidemic and offers residents a simple three-part framework — See it, Name it, Change it — to recognize harmful behaviours and take safe action.
The initiative is led by KFACC with support from Kingston Interval House, Resolve Counselling Services, the United Way Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington, Southeast Public Health and other local partners. Local photographer Will O’Hare produced a portrait series used in the campaign; the images feature a cross-section of community members, including Col. Sonny Hatton of CFB Kingston, a Correctional Service of Canada commissioner, Dr. Piotr Oglaza (the region’s medical officer of health), an Indigenous elder, a Queen’s University student, a paramedic and a trades worker.
Ruth Noordegraaf, Director of Community Development & Well-being (and IIDEA — Indigenization, Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility) for the City of Kingston, said the campaign “calls on our community to take action — through awareness, advocacy, careful intervention and collaboration.” The launch materials and reporting cite provincial femicide data from the Ontario Association of Interval and Transition Houses (OAITH) showing 43 femicides in Ontario over the past year, a fact campaign organizers use to underline the urgency of local action.
Residents can view the photos and access resources on the KFACC campaign website (kfacc.org/see-it-name-it-change-it) and through community displays associated with the rollout. (Specific venues such as Kingston City Hall or public libraries were not named in the KFACC or Kingstonist launch materials.)
The campaign materials explain bystander options — including the 5 D’s (Distract, Delegate, Document, Delay, Direct) — and provide tips and resources for safe intervention. KFACC notes the campaign originated with Lanark County Interval House in 2017 and has since been adopted in other Ontario communities. For more information and supports, visit the KFACC campaign page.
If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 911. For local supports and resources related to intimate partner and gender-based violence, see kfacc.org/see-it-name-it-change-it/.
