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Our Story

The Ottawa Rape Crisis Centre (ORCC) was founded in 1974 by a small group of women who wanted to ensure women in Ottawa who had experienced sexual assault could receive the right supports. It was the third rape crisis centre to operate in Canada. The original goals of the ORCC were to:

  1. provide direct assistance to rape victims through a volunteer-operated crisis phone line, casework and accompaniment services, and group counselling;
  2. to educate the public toward a change in attitude and treatment of the issue of rape.

Today, ORCC supports people with lived experience of sexual and gender-based violence through counselling and crisis services while advocating for systemic change through education, policy and research.

What We Do

The ORCC is dedicated to showing up for people who have experienced sexual and/or gender-based violence in the Ottawa region. We do this by offering crisis support, counselling, service navigation, psychoeducation and advocacy for systemic change.

To find out more about the services we offer, visit our Counselling  page. To find out more about our public education and advocacy efforts, go to our Blog and ORCC’s Statements.

Who We Are

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Our Vision

Communities that are free of sexual and gender-based violence.

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Our Mission

ORCC supports people with lived experience of sexual and gender-based violence through counselling and crisis services while advocating for systemic change through education, policy and research.

Our Team