IIRP Canada was founded in 2008 as an international affiliate of the International Institute for Restorative Practices, an accredited graduate school based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA, to offer training and consulting in restorative practices across Canada. IIRP Canada works with schools, facilities, community programs, workplaces, faith groups and families with a focus on strengthening relationships and repairing harm as a way of building community.
Who We Are
Bruce Schenk
Director
Bruce became the director of IIRP Canada in 2008. He has worked extensively with schools, school boards and districts, workplaces, communities and in various contexts across Canada in restorative practices training, consultation and development. Prior to working with IIRP Canada, Bruce served as the chaplain at Brookside Youth Centre in Cobourg, Ontario, as a policy analyst, and as a coordinator in youth and adult justice. Bruce has been widely involved in restorative work for nearly two decades.
Pat Lewis
Associate Director
Pat recently retired from an elementary school principal position with the Peel District School Board (PDSB) after a 25-year career. Her wide range of experiences includes Principal Qualification Program Instructor for the Ontario Principal’s Council and collaborative work on several large-scale implementation initiatives within the PDSB, including the Conflict Prevention and Intervention Institute, Facilitating Problem-Solving and Restorative Practices. Pat currently volunteers for a Youth Justice Committee as a restorative conference facilitator.
Gayle Desmeules
Regional Representative for Western Canada
Gayle has 30 years experience in the social, justice, recreation, culture and community development fields. Most notable is her passion for working for the betterment of Indigenous people, and her ancestry is connected to James Bay Cree First Nations and Red River Métis. She specializes in using circle processes to promote engagement, relationship building and problem solving on an individual, family and community level, as well as system reform for the benefit children and youth at-risk. Her work “A Sacred Circle: Family Group Conferencing” was published as chapter 8 in Putting a Human Face on Child Welfare: Voices from the Prairie.
Peggy Barrette
Instructor and Mentor (French and English)
Peggy has more than 30 years in the field of education. Most recently she retired from her position of elementary school principal with the Trillium Lakelands District School Board, where she led professional learning in French as well as in English. She is a bilingual trainer and consultant for IIRP Canada.
Pamela Buttery
Instructor and Mentor
Pamela recently retired after 31 years in education with the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board. She taught in elementary, high school and adult education and was a special consultant prior to becoming an elementary school principal. Pamela served as a member of the Minister’s Principal Reference Group for a two-year term at the Ministry of Education. As a school administrator, she has gained invaluable experience implementing restorative practices within diverse school communities. Pamela was also a principal mentor who provided professional learning for more than 10 years and served as a member of the Safe Schools Committee.
Ron Cameron
Instructor and Mentor
Ron is a retired educator from the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board where he spent 17 years as an administrator. While working in a youth justice setting as a secondary principal, he was introduced to restorative practices and incorporated this approach throughout the school. Upon retirement he began working part-time for IIRP Canada. Ron currently volunteers for a Youth Justice Committee as a restorative conference facilitator and has extensive experience doing restorative practices work in schools, workplaces and other settings.
Kevin Cutler
Instructor and Mentor
Prior to working with IIRP Canada, Kevin worked in public education in Ontario as a teacher, administrator and superintendent for more than 30 years. During that time, he helped lead his school board in the implementation of restorative practices in all of the district schools. Recently, Kevin has conducted restorative practices trainings on the Caribbean Island of St. Lucia and among Indigenous communities in Nunavik. He expects to earn his Master of Science in Restorative Practices from the IIRP Graduate School in 2018.
Caroline Gosling
Instructor and Mentor
Caroline recently retired after 35 years as an educator. During that time she taught at elementary, junior and senior high, was a behaviour consultant, a principal at four different schools and spent time working for both Alberta Children’s Services and Alberta Education with a focus on supporting students who are vulnerable and creating welcoming, caring, respectful and safe learning environments. Caroline has over 20 years experience using restorative practices within schools, districts and the justice system. She is currently chair of the Alberta Restorative Justice Association and is thrilled to be joining the IIRP Canada team.
Our Partners
Centre for Workplace Engagement: This organization supports companies and organizations to rewire workplace relationships using restorative practices.
FaithCARE: Since 2007, this multi-denominational team of veteran Restorative Practice facilitators has collaborated with over 50 churches around Ontario from a variety of denominations.
The International Institute for Restorative Practices: An accredited graduate school based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, the IIRP has been an integral part of a large worldwide movement of scholars, policymakers and practitioners advancing the fields of restorative justice and, more broadly, restorative practices.
National Restorative Justice Symposium: Correctional Services of Canada, with local organizations across Canada, hosts an annual conference on restorative practices and restorative justice.
Restorative Practices Consortium: This ad-hoc group of restorative practitioners involved in implementing restorative practices at the systems level in their school districts, organized a major symposium, supported by the Ontario Ministry of Education, for students, teachers and administrators.
Shalem Mental Health Network: This Christian charity provides individual, couple and family counselling and equips communities to embrace the needs of people who struggle with emotional distress and/or mental illness.
True Dialogue: This training and consulting company based in St. Paul, Alberta, focuses on Indigenous communities and responding to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada Calls to Action. True Dialogue offers workplace and family mediation services, writing of pre-sentence (Gladue) reports, Peacemaking Circles and Family Group Conference training, Restorative Resolution services and community conference facilitation for students experiencing learning engagement and absenteeism issues.