Sidney Colbourne lived in Oak Bay, Victoria, and frequently beat up his wife Vera and their five-year-old daughter. One night, the gun that Sid bought to keep Vera in line, went off and shot him in the head. It was 1938. Vera was put on trial for murder, and Inspector Vance was called in to investigate.
This episode includes an interview with Tracy Porteous, executive director of Ending Violence Association of BC, with information that shows violence against women hasn’t improved much in the eight decades since Vera was put on trial for murder.
The house is still at 2230 Bowker Avenue, Oak Bay.
The stories for this first series are from my book Blood, Sweat, and Fear: The Story of Inspector Vance (Eve Lazarus, Arsenal Pulp Press, 2017). Vance was one of the first forensic scientists in North America, and during his 42-year-career, helped to solve some of the most sensational murders of the 20th Century. Each episode focuses on one of those cases.
Credits
- Intro and outro music: Duke Ellington’s St. Louie Toodle
- Intro, voice of Inspector Vance and newspaper reading: Mark Dunn
- Background track created by Nico Vettese www.wetalkofdreams.com
- Interview: Tracy Porteous, executive director, Ending Violence Association of BC, May 22, 2019
- Image logo: Daily Colonist, April 1, 1938
Sources:
- Blood, Sweat, and Fear: The Story of Inspector Vance, Vancouver’s First Forensic Investigator, by Eve Lazarus (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2017)
- Newspapers.com: Victoria Daily Times, Daily Colonist, Vancouver Sun, Globe & Mail and Province
- Vital Statistics
- City Directories
- Oak Bay Archives: census information from 1938, council minutes and Police Log Book
- Inquest of Sidney Colbourne, BC Archives
- The personal files of Inspector John F.C.B. Vance
- Defending Battered Women on Trial. Elizabeth A. Sheehy, UBC Press, Vancouver 2014
Need help?
- Ending Violence Organization of BC
- The Canadian Women’s Organization
- Spousal Assault program, Victoria
- VictimLinkBC – an anonymous helpline open 24 hours a day 1-800-563-0808.
3 comments on “Episode 06: The Widow”
Superb narration of a true event that took place in Western Canada that also creates an awareness that domestic violence in Canada against women is still very prevalent. However, there are societies and victim link help lines open 24 hours/day and that is essential as steps in the correct direction for hope and over time preventative measures for victims and potential victims thereby saving many lives.
This was my first time listening to a podcast and I did enjoy it.
Yes, I agree, however, I believe different helps for victims should be advertised much more than they are. There are still areas where women (and even abused men) are not aware of such helps.
Thanks Judith!. And I agree. It’s depressing how little progress we’ve made when it comes to domestic violence 80 years on. I’ve listed a few resources at the end of the post.