Fort St. John woman alleges mother sexually assaulted at Peace Villa

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — A local woman is looking for answers after an alleged sexual assault at a long-term care facility in Fort St. John where her mother lives.

Amber McGill’s 54-year-old mother is a resident at Fort St. John’s Peace Villa. McGill told Energeticcity.ca her mother has been living there for three years.

McGill’s mother suffers from Huntington’s disease, a neurological disorder which causes nerve cells in the brain to deteriorate over time, affecting a person’s movement and thinking ability.

She said she received a phone call from the facility around February 13th about an alleged incident involving her mother and another patient – finding out later it was an alleged sexual assault.

Northern Health wrote in a statement it is aware of the allegations and cooperating with law enforcement because it takes incidents of violence or aggression “very seriously.”

“It was just after eight o’clock. I got a call,” said McGill. “[They] had said that there was an incident between my mother and another resident.

“A male resident who had locked himself in her room and that she had been sexually assaulted… I knew it was bad, but I didn’t realize how bad until the next day.”

McGill said she has had “off and on” conversations with the lead investigator from Fort St. John RCMP regarding the incident.

She says what is more troubling is the alleged assailant was kept at Peace Villa after the encounter, before being apparently transferred to another facility.

“It took them a while to move him,” said McGill. “I kept going in, and I’m like, ‘well, why the hell is he in here? Like, this is unacceptable.’ They told me they were going to transfer this resident to [another facility] and it takes time.”

McGill said there have been other issues at Peace Villa involving her mother – including her being allegedly struck by another patient – and she told Energeticcity.ca it’s “a never-ending cycle” of incidents.

Her mother’s illness means the woman is bedridden and must be wheeled to the bathroom. McGill alleged there has been an incident where her mother fell out of bed and split her head open, prompting a visit to the emergency room.

“There was a time I was sitting there and I think she just wanted to tell the nurse something,”  said McGill. “I looked at her because she had pressed the call button numerous times.

“She was getting frustrated. I could tell she was getting frustrated. I just sat there and I waited, and it was anywhere between 20 to 30 minutes before they came. She was so mad and frustrated. I could tell she was angry.”

A statement from the region’s health authority, Northern Health, to Energeticcity.ca said it is aware of the sexual assault allegation and is cooperating with the RCMP about the investigation.

“Peace Villa is working with Northern Health community care licensing staff to ensure all appropriate measures to ensure the safety of residents and staff are in place,” reads the statement.

 “Northern Health takes any incidents of violence or aggression in our facilities very seriously, and all incidents are thoroughly reviewed for opportunities to improve safety for residents and staff.”

Meanwhile, the RCMP told CBC that no charges have been laid. 

Peace Villa is a 124-bed long-term care facility in Fort St. John which was listed by the provincial government for expansion in 2025.

In February, at the announcement of the government’s budget, the project was delayed with no timetable set for the beginning of the expansion. The facility opened in 2012.