To request free and confidential assistance: Montréal (514-653-6363) Elsewhere in Québec (1-877-863-6363) or through our form
What characterizes gun violence?
Gun violence is the use of external objects to coerce, dominate, injure or kill a person, or to destroy or damage property. This form of violence, which is distinguished by the use of an object for offensive purposes, is part of a broader process of violence that leads an individual to want to acquire an object in order to use it destructively.
A caring approach - The RENFORT line
Available across the province of Québec, the RENFORT team offers listening, needs assessment, assistance, referral and support services to young people, families, school teams and community organizations concerned about violence involving weapons, whether committed, experienced or feared.
By contacting us, you will have access to
- Professional support — Individual help in person, by phone or by text message, as well as support groups as needed.
- A community of resources — A directory of professional resources selected for their relevance.
This service is made possible through financial support from the City of Montréal, the Ministère de la Sécurité publique through the Government of Canada’s Gun and Gang Violence Action Fund, and the Ministère de l’Éducation.
About
Created in February 2023 and rolled out across the province of Québec in 2024 following an initiative of the City of Montréal, the RENFORT line provides telephone support for Québec families concerned about gun violence. This service is made possible through financial support from the City of Montréal, the Ministère de la Sécurité publique through the Government of Canada’s Gun and Gang Violence Action Fund, and the Ministère de l’Éducation.
Free and confidential, the RENFORT line offers individual support by phone and text message, as well as group support through support groups.
You can also get help through the directory of existing resources.
The resource directory offers a range of services, contact information for organizations, support options and tailored information. It gives you access to a consolidated network of services that can help ease your concerns.
RENFORT line services are provided by a multidisciplinary and multiethnic team
Their varied skills allow them to draw on their unique expertise to prevent gun violence and support the families and parents concerned.
Our mandate
The RENFORT line is a telephone listening, assistance and referral service.
Our goal is to support, accompany and meet the needs of families in Montréal and across Québec who wish to discuss their concerns about gun violence.
You get the support you need to feel safe
You discover useful services for preventing gun violence
A caring approach
The RENFORT line is grounded in a preventive, community-based and human perspective.
Through a collaborative and inclusive approach, it builds trust without judgment and without involving the justice system.
It is a helpline, not an emergency line, and it aims to foster a sense of safety within families and schools, among those around them and in their living environments.
Victim or witness of gun violence?
How can you act to prevent or report gun violence?
Report the event anonymously to Info-Crime Montréal
Call a Crime Victims Assistance Centre (CAVAC)
Contact the RENFORT team through our helpline
Resource directory
You are not alone: explore resources that can support you
RENFORT tools: download our files
