Toronto Expands 'Ask for Angela' Safety Net Ahead of Major Sporting Events

TORONTO, ON – March 30, 2026 – As Toronto prepares to host a massive influx of over 300,000 soccer fans for major summer sporting events, Victim Services Toronto (VST) is launching a significant city-wide expansion of its 'Ask for Angela' program, a discreet initiative designed to combat gender-based violence. The expansion includes new strategic partnerships across multiple sectors and the program's first-ever out-of-home advertising campaign, transforming a successful pilot into a permanent safety infrastructure for the city.

The proactive move addresses a well-documented and troubling correlation: major sporting events often coincide with a spike in reports of domestic and gender-based violence.

The Shadow of Celebration

While large-scale sporting events bring excitement and economic benefit, they can also cast a dark shadow. International studies and local data have repeatedly shown a link between high-stakes games and increased intimate partner violence. In Canada, researchers observed a stark 40 per cent increase in domestic violence calls in Calgary during certain championship games. This precedent raises significant concerns for Toronto as it readies for this summer's soccer tournament.

The city is already grappling with high rates of violence. According to Victim Services Toronto, police record between 17,000 and 19,000 intimate partner violence occurrences annually, and recent data has shown a double-digit year-over-year increase, a figure that experts believe is still an underrepresentation due to chronic underreporting.

"This summer's influx of visitors and the expected vulnerabilities that come with it create an urgent need for Ask for Angela's increased presence across Toronto," said Carly Kalish, Chief Executive Officer of Victim Services Toronto. Kalish emphasized that the situation also presents a "long-term, infrastructure-building opportunity to make pathways to help more consistently available, convenient, and approachable."

A Discreet Signal for Help

The 'Ask for Angela' initiative offers a simple yet powerful tool for those who feel unsafe, vulnerable, or threatened. By approaching a staff member at a participating location and asking the code phrase, "Is Angela here?", an individual can discreetly signal their need for assistance.

Originating in the United Kingdom in 2016 and now celebrating its 10-year global anniversary, the program trains staff to recognize the phrase, respond calmly, and follow a clear, trauma-informed protocol. This typically involves guiding the person to a safe, private space and helping them connect directly with professional support services like VST's 24/7 crisis team. The focus is on providing a safe connection to help, not on having frontline staff act as counselors.

VST first introduced the program to the Greater Toronto Area in the fall of 2023 through a foundational partnership with Loblaw Companies Limited. The collaboration embedded the safety initiative into 225 everyday retail spaces, such as grocery stores and pharmacies—locations that individuals might visit alone. Thousands of frontline staff were trained, and discreet QR codes were also made available in stores to offer another layer of choice and privacy.

"We're proud to have partnered on the local launch of Ask for Angela and have seen the positive impact of this transformative program in action across our stores the past two years," stated Dean Henrico, Senior Vice-President Asset Protection at Loblaw Companies Limited. "This is just the beginning of what's possible through ongoing community collaboration."

Building a City-Wide Safety Network

Leveraging the success of the retail pilot, VST is now scaling the program dramatically. With funding from the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services through Ontario's Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence, the initiative is expanding far beyond store aisles.

New strategic partnerships will bring the program into a diverse array of public-facing venues, training an additional 8,000 frontline staff and volunteers. The growing network includes key players in hospitality and tourism, such as the CN Tower, Hilton Toronto, Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel, and multiple Marriott properties. This ensures that visitors and locals alike will have access to support in hotels and major attractions.

The expansion also extends to critical public services. Partners now include Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, The PrEP Clinic, and Toronto Paramedic Services, embedding the safety protocol within the city's healthcare and emergency response fabric. This multi-sector approach aims to create a seamless web of support, ensuring that no matter where someone is in the city, a trained individual is nearby.

Making the Quietest Tool Heard

To ensure the public knows this resource is available, VST is launching its first-ever out-of-home (OOH) advertising campaign. Inspired by the program's core tenet of discretion, the campaign will feature posters disguised as typical product advertisements for items like makeup, skincare, or menstrual products.

These ads, placed in high-traffic areas like transit hubs, will feature a QR code that leads to a new dedicated website, askforangela.ca. This innovative approach aims to raise awareness subtly, reaching people in a non-intrusive way while targeting an estimated 64 million brand impressions.

Further bolstering the program's long-term infrastructure is the launch of a mobile-first, interactive map on the new website. This tool will allow users to quickly and easily locate nearby 'Ask for Angela' partner sites or connect directly with VST for immediate support. The map will be continuously updated as new, quality-assured partners join the network, creating a permanent and evolving safety resource for the city.

"The city's upcoming tournament has created real momentum for our work," Kalish explained. "We're using this moment to bolster the presence, awareness, and reach of Ask for Angela and the network of partners behind it – transforming it from a standalone campaign into a scalable, city-wide safety network that will be able to serve Toronto long after this summer ends."