About The Barb’s Bench Project

Long Lake Park was a special place for Barbara Baillie. She enjoyed being in nature and walking her dog, often pausing to sit and enjoy the calm of the water.

To some, park benches are simply a place to stop while on a walk, but to Barb they were a refuge from the abuse she endured from her husband and father of her five children. A comfortable bench in a peaceful public place offered physical rest, but also insurance that she would be safe in the line of sight of unknowing passers-by.

On October 19, 1990 Barb’s husband of 25 years strangled her to death in their home in Spryfield Nova Scotia. This tragedy shook the lives of her children, family and friends who continue to mourn the loss of their giving and caring daughter, mother, sister and friend.

In 2015, with the the 25th anniversary of Barb’s death approaching, her daughter and eldest child Denenia set out to start a memorial project to honour Barb.

With the help of the MLA in her community at the time, Brendan Maguire, Denenia was able to start Barb’s Bench project – starting with the first purple bench placed in Long Lake Park. Since the projects inception, four benches have been placed throughout Nova Scotia.

Communities are now able to place purple benches featuring a plaque showing emergency numbers to contact for people experience domestic violence and the commemoration of Barabara Baillie and other domestic homicide victims.

For more information on how to place a bench in your community, visit Place a Bench.

To find where you can visit a bench, see Visit a Bench.