General Information

Answers to common questions about SARVSS and victim services.

SARVSS stands for the Southern Alberta Regional Victim Serving Society. Our head office is located in Airdrie, with numerous service offices located throughout the Southern Alberta Region. We are pleased to provide Court Support and Navigation services, as well as information and referral services to all those affected by crime, trauma, and tragedy.
Our services can be accessed by RCMP referral, a Community Agency referral, or by self-referral or walk-in (our Court and Support Navigators are co-located in RCMP Detachments).
There is no cost to clients for any of our services or programs.
If you have been the victim of crime, contact our office and our staff will be able to let you know if you are eligible for our services.
Contact our office and we will be able to give you an appropriate answer based on your particular circumstances.

PROTECTION ORDERS

An EPO is an order that instructs an individual that they are to have no contact with a specific person or persons. An EPO is granted in emergency situations where the safety of one or more individuals is at risk. They are available when violence or threats occur between family members. You can apply for an EPO at any courthouse with a judge present. A judge will hear the application and then decide whether to grant the EPO or not. If granted, the police will serve the EPO to the accused and that person will have conditions and orders to not contact you. Once served, if they contact you, they can be charged with breach of an Emergency Protection Order. A review date will be set for 10 days later, when the accused will have a chance to respond. From there an extension may be granted if needed. If an extension is granted, the no contact conditions will continue for the entire length of the new order. For more information on Emergency Protection Orders, you may go to your local Court of Justice or contact your nearest EPO office: in Calgary and surrounding areas, phone (403)-297-5260; in Lethbridge and surrounding areas, phone (403) 388-3162. In all other areas of Alberta, phone 1-866-845-3425.
A King’s Bench protection order (KBPO) offers the same protection as an EPO; however, the need may not be as urgent as the need for an EPO. The application is done with notice to the other party – this means that the application will also be served to the person that the order is being applied against. With a KBPO, you can apply directly in the Court of King’s Bench, often located in your local Court of Justice, and the judge there can also order that money be repaid if expenses occurred as a result of the violence.

Guidance on protection orders available with or without criminal charges.

Additional Support

Didn't find your question? Reach out to your local Regional Victim Serving Society officefor more assistance.

COURT RELATED QUESTIONS

Information to help you navigate the court process as a victim of crime.

Court can be a lengthy process. As a victim, it can be frustrating when your court case keeps getting adjourned or put over to a new date. Moving forward and healing becomes difficult when you are constantly reminded of the crime. In Canada, anyone who is charged with a crime (the accused) has rights that the system must respect. This includes the right to have a lawyer and to know what the evidence is against them.

The most common reasons court dates are adjourned include:

The accused needs more time to hire a lawyer or apply for Legal Aid.

The accused and their lawyer need time to receive and review the evidence (also referred to as disclosure).

There are ongoing discussions between the Crown prosecutor and the accused's lawyer about a possible resolution.

They are setting a date for a trial, decision, or sentencing that works with everyone's schedule.

You do not have to attend court unless you receive a subpoena (most often this would
be for trial). Instead, your local Victim Services Unit should be able to keep you updated
on what is happening in court. If you have questions around the court process or your
court matter, call or contact the Southern Alberta Regional Victim Serving Society.
A VIS is a written statement that describes the physical or emotion harm, property damage, or economic loss that a victim of an offence has suffered. Submitting a VIS is completely voluntary. If an accused is found guilty or pleads guilty, the VIS must be taken into consideration by the judge during the sentencing hearing. If you would like more information about VISs or are interested in submitting one, please reach out to our office.
A restitution order requires an offender to pay the victim for financial losses the victim suffered because of the offender's crime. When a request for restitution is made, the judge must consider making an order during the sentencing hearing. To request restitution, you will be required to fill out a Statement of Restitution form with the amount of money you are requesting and attach any receipts to the form.
A community impact statement is a chance to let the judge know how your community
has been hurt because of a crime. What is a community? A community is a group of
people with something in common:

anyone from the same place – like a town or neighbourhood

professional colleagues

religious organizations

cultural groups

other diverse groups – like the LGBTQ community

One person from your community will write and submit the community impact
statement.