Lee Lakeman's Legacy in Oxford County

Tuesday, 7 January 2025 10:57

Lee Lakeman started The Women’s Emergency Centre, now known as Domestic Abuse Services Oxford.

WOODSTOCK/VANCOUVER - Writer, speaker, feminist, and activist.

Those are the words that pop up when you type Lee Lakeman's name into Google.

She died in Vancouver on December 20th, 2024 at the age of 78. Diane Harris, the Executive Director of Domestic Abuse Services Oxford, says she left quite the legacy here in Oxford County.

"She was the woman back in 1974, who took the courageous step of bringing women who have been abused with their children to her own house on Hatch Street (Woodstock). Unknowingly at that point, she laid the foundation for the shelter system in Oxford County."

Lakeman had actually moved into the basement of that home with her son, so the women and children in need could utilize the upper level.

The shelter was dubbed The Women’s Emergency Centre (Woodstock) in 1975 and Lakeman served as the unpaid coordinator, working with a small group of volunteers to secure donations to keep the shelter running.

Lakeman was able to secure funding from the Canada Mortage and Housing Corporation in 1976, which allowed her to purchase a 10-bed home on Lawrason Street for the shelter.

She relocated to Vancouver in 1978 and started working for the Vancouver Rape Relief and Women's Shelter. She dedicated 34 years to the organization before retiring in 2012. Vancouver Rape Relief released a statement following her death, detailing all of the work she did on the west coast.

Harris says Lakeman was a dynamic and one-of-a-kind legend who left a lasting impact on our community.

"She supported hundreds of women in this community and she was a fierce supporter of women's rights. She really laid a lot of great groundwork for the people who are continuing to do her work."

She says Lakeman may be gone, but she will never be forgotten.

"She is a fierce strong woman that I hope we can remember as we go forward. She was an amazing woman and I really wish I had the opportunity to have met her."

The Women’s Emergency Centre (Woodstock) was renamed to Domestic Abuse Services Oxford in 2011, and you can read more about the organization's history online here.