1. Provide a national voice for affiliated CoSA sites
In 2015, CoSA Canada was incorporated as the national office for CoSA sites across the country. Under a five-year Public Safety Canada-funded project that launched in 2017 and concluded in 2022, CoSA Canada has provided assistance to CoSA sites in 15 locations to reduce recidivism and assist people who have committed sexual offences to reintegrate into their communities.
Since 2017, CoSA Canada has also contributed to research through academic partnerships and participated in federal and non-profit learning initiatives. It has raised public awareness of CoSA programming and engaged in a multi-year process to identify and articulate good practices and relevant materials for CoSA staff and volunteer training, including outlining a national operational framework.
Cliff Yumansky has held the position of Executive Director of CoSA Canada since 2021 and comes to this role with a strong leadership background in corrections and criminal justice policy.
From 2007 to 2014 Cliff was Director of Corrections Programs and Community Development for the Department of Public Safety Canada and worked as a senior advisor in corrections policy for the unit since the mid-nineties focusing on high-risk/sex offenders, the national sex offender registry, national flagging system, national office for victims (NVO) and the NVO sustaining grant program.
Prior to working in the federal government, Cliff was Director of Community Programs (serving troubled/at risk youth) for the Youth Services Bureau (YSB) in Ottawa for nearly 10 years. Cliff also worked as a Probation Officer (Adult) for three years for Quebec Ministry of Justice in Gatineau/Hull.
Cliff is based in Port Perry, Ontario, and has spent his retirement working on casual contracts within Public Safety Canada, Correctional Service of Canada, the RCMP. Cliff served as the VP of the CoSA Ottawa Board of Directors from 2016 to 2020 and acting President of the CoSA Ottawa Board before completing his term with the Board.
Eileen Henderson is a past Restorative Justice Coordinator, Mennonite Central Committee Ontario (MCCO) and Coordinator of Circles of Support and Accountability (COSA) under MCCO. For the past 15 years, she has been privileged to participate in some incredible work that is being done by prison chaplains in Rwanda, Burundi and Democratic Republic of Congo through the work of Just Equipping.
In addition to CoSA Canada, she is actively involved with Dismas Fellowship and Restorative Justice Housing Ontario.
Randy Klassen has worked as a pastor (9 years) and a college instructor (biblical and theological studies, 13 years), before taking an opportunity to explore the work of restorative justice. In 2015, he began serving with Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), which also began his association with CoSA as a circle volunteer.
His current role with MCC is within the Indigenous Neighbours program. He is the proud father of four children and seven grandchildren (and counting), and is grateful to live in Saskatoon, close to the heart of Treaty 6 Territory, and in the Homeland of the Métis.
Ben has many years of experience in academia, politics and government. Since his retirement he has done a lot of volunteer work in criminal justice for CoSA and several other organizations in an effort to help shift our system to being based less on emotion and more on real evidence about what enhances public safety and crime prevention.
Trained in Montreal and Rome, Laurent taught theology in Colombia and Panama and is committed to the faithful of the slums and the marginalized. To escape violence in Colombia, Laurent and his wife returned to Canada, and in 2001 Laurent became involved with the Conseil des Églises pour la Justice et la Criminologiedu Québec (CEJCQ) and the Church Council on Justice and Corrections (CCJC), believing in their mission of promoting restorative justice, the rights of prisoners and the reintegration of ex-prisoners.
In 2005, Laurent was appointed Catholic chaplain at the Leclerc Institute and coordinator of the Community Chaplaincy of Montreal (ACM). From 2008 to 2014, he served as a full-time CMA coordinator and community chaplain in transition houses.
Maureen was born and raised in Vancouver. Her professional background in accounting, years in church and community services (including work with pregnant teens, hospital chaplaincy, and direct work with youth on the streets through Covenant House) has given her a broad background for her role as coordinator of BC CoSA (Circle of Support and Accountability). Maureen has held this role since 2003 and currently BC CoSA operates 42 circles with 108 volunteers.
Florence was born in Manitoba, completed a MSW in McGill University, Montreal, following a BA in Bethel College, North Newton, Kansas. Following marriage to Otto Driedger, she worked and lived in Saskatchewan.
Florence is currently retired from the Family Service Regina and teaching at University of Regina. She continues to volunteer in Pastoral ministry, Refugee resettlement, justice services and other community-based services in Saskatchewan, internationally and, in particular, in Ukraine where she and Otto have taught and consulted in community-based services for 30+ years.
She and Otto jointly began the CoSA services in Regina in the early 1990s and have served on many boards, and organizations for over 70years.
Angela has been employed in a variety of roles within the criminal justice system for more than 30 years. She has worked in provincial and federal government as well as in the not-for-profit sector. Angela has been an active member of the restorative justice community in the Atlantic Region since 1998.
Since 2005, Angela has been employed as a Mediator in Cases of Serious Crime within the Restorative Opportunities Program for the Correctional Service of Canada. Angela has sat on several boards, networks and committees over the years including being a founding member of the Canadian Restorative Justice Consortium, CoSA Canada, and the Violence Prevention Network of Southeastern NB.
Susan Love was the Director of Circles of Support and Accountability in Ottawa for 22 years, taking over the reins from her mother, Pat Love, who established it as a ministry of a downtown church in 1998. When Pat secured modest funding from the federal government in 2002, Susan was hired to further develop the program. Susan also served on the CoSA Canada Board of Directors as a Site Representative. Susan is the proud mother of three adult sons and two wonderful grandchildren!
CoSA Canada invites associates—companions—to support our work including criminal justice and reintegration professionals, researchers, and others. CoSA Canada welcomes contact from those interested in contributing skills and abilities to reach out. For more information, please contact info@cosacanada.com.
CoSA Canada's Award of Distinction celebrates individuals who have made significant contributions to CoSA in Canada.
2022 - Dr. Robert (Bob) Cormier, Ph.D., C. Psych.
Bob Cormier is a forensic psychologist who enjoyed a 35-year career in the federal public service. After seven years working as a psychologist in the Kingston area, he moved to Ottawa, initially as a senior research officer. He subsequently held numerous positions in the Department of the Solicitor General, and later Public Safety, including Senior Director, Corrections Research and Community Development, and Executive Director of the National Crime Prevention Centre. Dr. Cormier received the Public Service Award of Excellence for Outstanding Career in2010.
Following his retirement from the public service in 2010, he continued to pursue his interests in corrections, restorative justice, respectful workplace, crime prevention, and mental disorder and the law. He is a member (part-time) of the Ontario Review Board, a tribunal that makes dispositions in cases of accused who are found by the Courts to be unfit to stand trial or not criminally responsible for criminal offence son account of a mental disorder.
He has been a long-time supporter of Circles of Support and Accountability (CoSA).He is a former member of the Board of Directors of CoSA Ottawa and currently serves on their Advisory Committee.
Among his achievements, Bob Cormier co-led with David Daubney, Canada’s initiative on restorative justice at the U.N. Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice. This initiative culminated in an Economic and Social Council resolution, passed in July 2002, establishing the U.N. Basic Principles on the Use of Restorative Justice Programs in Criminal Matters.
2021 - Dan Haley has been involved with CoSA for over 30 years. With support from Harry Nigh and Hugh Kirkegaard, Dan along with others established the second circle in the city of Toronto. Hired by MCC Ontario, Dan met with men returning to the community and linked them to the growing work of CoSA in the Toronto/Hamilton/Kitchener area as well as building the work of CoSA in his home community of Peterborough.
2020 - Patricia Love was honoured by the CoSA community in December 2020. As the founder of CoSA Ottawa, Patricia Love played an invaluable role in creating the national office together with her daughter and now longtime CoSA program director, Susan Love. Her dedication and advocacy enabled CoSA to develop a strong reputation, locally and internationally.
2019 - Harry Nigh (center), with then Chair Hugh Kirkegaard and Executive Director, Kathryn Bliss at the CoSA gathering in Canmore, AB. Harry was instrumental in initiating the very first circle of volunteers in Hamilton, Ontario. Through great passion and commitment, his extensive contributions helped CoSA take root in Canada and evolve over the years.
