Listen to this article
Estimated 3 minutes
The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.
A man has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of his wife in Merritt, B.C., RCMP say.
Officers and paramedics were called to a home in the city Tuesday and arrived to find Pamela Jarvis, 45, suffering from significant injuries, police said in a news release.
Jarvis was taken to hospital, where she later died.
RCMP say the suspect — her husband — fled the home before officers arrived but he was located and arrested a few hours later.
On Wednesday, Christopher Bernard Jarvis was charged with second-degree murder in Jarvis’ death. The 49-year-old has been denied bail and remains in custody until his next court appearance on Jan. 6, 2026.
The B.C. RCMP Southeast District Major Crime Unit has taken over the investigation. Police have not released details about how Jarvis died.
Friends of the family and community members have since launched fundraising efforts to support Jarvis’s children.
Legislation on domestic violence
Conservative MP for Kamloops-Thompson-Nicola, Frank Caputo said in a social media post that his “heart grieves for all impacted,” noting the death occurred while his private member’s bill addressing intimate partner violence is before Parliament.
The bill, C-225, was tabled in September.
It proposes several changes to the Criminal Code of Canada, including: making the killing of an intimate partner an automatic first-degree murder charge and changing bail rules for those with a previous domestic violence conviction.
The bill now moves to Parliament’s Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights, where MPs from all parties will hear from victims, stakeholders and experts.
Issues of intimate partner violence are included in other legislation also before Ottawa. Earlier this month, the federal government tabled Bill C-16, which includes classifying femicide — including cases relating to an intimate partner — as first-degree murder.
WATCH | Will Canada criminalize coercive control and non-consensual deepfakes?:
Justice minister proposes changes to Criminal Code. Here’s what that could include
The Liberal government is proposing what it calls a ‘generational’ amendment to the Criminal Code. Justice Minister Sean Fraser’s Bill C-16 would reinstate mandatory minimum sentences for certain offences and strengthen protections against intimate partner violence, femicide and crimes involving children.
If passed, it will make bail and sentencing laws stricter for sexual crimes and intimate partner violence, including tougher penalties for sexual offenses such as distributing intimate images and sexual deepfakes.
According to Statistics Canada, an average of 102 women and girls across the country were victims of gender-related homicide each year between 2011 and 2021. The agency says 93 per cent of those killings were committed by a male intimate partner or a family member of the victim.