Who We Are

Hide my tracks

Our Team

Our team is made up of Registered Nurses (RN), Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANEs) and physicians who provide care on an emergency basis. The RN's work with paediatricians when caring for children.

SANEs are nurses who have been on the Nina's Place team for over one year and have had specialized training. They can practice independently of a physician. The SANEs practice within guidelines set out by the Ministry of Health.

All of the Nina's Place nurses validate the experience for victims and survivors, and provide care in a sensitive, compassionate and non-judgmental manner. The delivery of care and treatment is provided in a space that is safe and private, away from the public hustle and bustle of a busy hospital Emergency Department.

A registered social worker is also available to provide support to all Nina's Place clients during business hours. Our social worker is trained in the area of sexual assault & domestic violence, in providing trauma counselling and may help with safety planning or give referrals to community agencies.

Our History

Nina’s Place is Halton Region’s sexual assault and domestic violence care centre and was named after Nina de Villiers (pictured above), a young woman who was abducted and murdered while jogging in Burlington in August 1991.

As a result of her death, her mother, Pricilla de Villiers, founded the Burlington-based, anti-violence/judicial reform organization, Canadians Against Violence Everywhere Advocating its Termination (CAVEAT) in June 1992. CAVEAT was very influential in advocating to the federal government to create the Canadian Firearms Registry in 1993 and also helped to bring about a policy on the growing incidence of violence against women.

At Hamilton’s McMaster University, there is a memorial garden dedicated to the memory of Nina de Villiers, who attended the university from 1990-1991.