Organizational Strategic Plan 2004-2007
Financial Sustainability- Seek United Way membership with the goal of becoming members by 2006
- Secure funding for core services and activities
- Generate revenue (e.g. core and fee-for-service) for programs and services
- Seek project funding up to a maximum of 50% of total budget (i.e. no drain on core operating budget)
- Review, develop and enhance the operational infrastructure to be aligned with Strategic Plan
- Enhance human resources capacity by prioritizing program/staff roles and responsibilities
- Enhance technological capacity to build more effective communication structures internally and externally for the organization
- Strengthen relationships with existing and new community partners in Downsview
- Strengthen relationships with colleagues and organizations in the conflict resolution field within the wider community
- Build stronger relationships with key external stakeholders/investors and solicit support
- Promote understanding and awareness of CMS-D’s mission, vision and services by the Greater Toronto Area Community to enhance support
- Promote understanding about CMS-D and the Conflict Resolution/Restorative Justice fields amongst all levels of government in order to increase operational dollars and support for CMS-D
Board and Staff
Board of Directors 2008-2009
- Vanessa LeGair (2000) Chair-person
- Colin E. Smith (2003) Vice-Chair
- Joanne Gittens (2006)
- Evan Heise (2005)
- Jeremy Donaldson (2006)
- Milap Choksey (2007)
- Ingrid Wilson (2007)
- Christopher Baines (2008)
Staff Members 2008
- Executive Director
cmsd@cmsd.org- Supervises all Programs and Administration
- Board of Directors Liaison
- Member of Personnel and Finance Board Committees
- Provides Training and Consulting to Organizations
- Michele Sauvé – Restorative Justice Program Director
Ext. 21, msauve@cmsd.org- Director of all Restorative Justice Programs (Youth Justice Committee, RJ Demonstration Project, mediation, and conferencing)
- Outreach and Public/Funder Relations for Restorative Justice Program
- Restorative Justice and Victim Offender Dialogue trainer
- Gregg Fenten – Community Transformation Program Coordinator
Ext 22, gfenten@cmsd.org- Case Manager for Community Cases & Workplace Cases
- Volunteer Coordinator
- Community Program Outreach
- Children and Youth Program Coordinator
cmsd@cmsd.org- Coordinates and overseas youth-led crime prevention initiatives and conducts workshops
- Case manager for Youth Cases
- Provides workshops, educational programs, clinics and mediation services for youth
- Training and Consulting Coordinator
cmsd@cmsd.org- Training Administration (Certificate courses, contract training)
- Consultant to Organizations and Businesses
- Member of the Marketing Committee
- Sonya Hibbert - Program Coordinator, Justice Committee, 1000 Finch Avenue West Court
Ext 35, shibbbert@cmsd.org- Case manager for Justice Committee cases
- Cheryl Rodgers -Restorative Justice Youth Program Coordinator
Ext 39, crodgers@cmsd.org- Case Manager for victim offender mediation and conferencing for youth on probation
- Brenda Kotras - Restorative Justice Volunteer Coordinator
Ext 40, bkotras@cmsd.org- Coordinates volunteer activities for Restorative Justice Program
- Forouz Masrour – Assistant Case Manager and Outreach Coordinator, Community Transformation Program
Ext 41, fmasrour@cmsd.org - Nigel Hunter - Peer Mediation and Summer Program Coordinator, Children and Youth
Ext 43,nhunter@cmsd.org - Angela Klassen - Program Coordinator, Youth Justice Committee
Ext 44,aklassen@cmsd.org - Lisa Nafziger - Program Coordinator, Justice Committee, 2201 Finch Avenue West Court
Ext 45, lnafziger@cmsd.org- Case manager for Justice Committee cases
CMS-D History and Timeline
In 1986 Mennonite Central Committee Ontario (MCC) asked Evan Heise (Founding Director of CMS-D) to investigate where in Toronto a Victim Offender Reconciliation Program (VORP) might be established. VORP was a concept developed by MCC in the 1970s. Heise soon discovered that Ontario courts in the mid-1980s were not amenable to the VORP notion. There was, however, a growing movement in North America to apply the same mediation concepts used in VORP, to community conflicts prior to the stage of police involvement or criminal charges. Ruth Morris had begun such a program downtown at St. Stephens Community House in 1985.
In the spring of 1986, the residents committee at 15 Tobermory (a high-rise public housing building) organized a community meeting to observe a mediation simulation and discuss the possibility of initiating a conflict resolution program for the thousand or so residents of that high-rise community. Several volunteers of St. Stephens Conflict Resolution Service joined Heise to make a presentation. In their wisdom, the participants at that first public meeting said that while an alternative service for resolving conflicts was needed, they felt it should be more broadly based than just their building and suggested that a meeting of local agencies and community organizations be convened to consider the idea. The resulting meeting involved representation from 15 agencies or organizations including the police and the Jane and Finch Community and Family Centre. This meeting also affirmed the need for a conflict resolution service in the community. In addition, the group felt that a separate organization needed to be established for the service. As a result of that meeting, a group of interested individuals started a process of developing a new organization.
The organizing group struggled with a name for the community service. They realized that the catchment area may one day be larger than Downsview, but wanted the world to know that this wonderful program originated here. Eventually, the name "Conflict Mediation Services of Downsview" was chosen by the committee. The plural "services" was to recognize that there are a variety of services that fall under the term mediation. In fact, within two years of opening business, CMS-D not only offered mediation but also pioneered a playground conflict management program, offered high school peer mediation training, and then began to develop a Victim/ Offender Reconciliation Program.
In January 1987, CMS-D began offering community mediation services from a desk in a community room in Driftwood Community Centre with Pat O'Neil as the first Program Co-ordinator. Heise and O'Neill shared that desk on a half-time basis. From that humble beginning CMS-D has established a credible conflict resolution organization that serves a much larger community with the following programs and services:
- Community (serves former city of North York)
- Restorative Justice Initiatives (serves city of Toronto)
- Training and Consulting for Organizations and Businesses (serves city of Toronto and the GTA)
- School and Youth Programs (serves former city of North York)
1986- Needs assessment via community meetings and the Network of Community Based Organizations in Jane-Finch/Jane-Sheppard organizations
- Advisory Committee selected for project development and staff selection
1987- Mennonite Central Committee Ontario helps to found the organization with development funding
- Community mediation service begins with shared space at Driftwood Community Centre and two half-time staff members
1988- The office moves to Yorkwoods Gate Plaza
- April - Incorporation is complete
- November – Charitable status is granted
1989- First High School Peer Mediation Program in the Greater Toronto Area begins at Father Brébeuf (the only other in Ontario began one year earlier in Ottawa)
- The staff team is increased by one member
- Materials are developed in Spanish and outreach materials are translated into three South Asian languages
1990- Increasing emphasis on school programs and wider exploration of the application of conflict resolution models
1991- Funding to pilot a Victim/Young Offender Mediation Program for two years
- Summer Conflict Resolution Program begins – offering conflict resolution and anti-violence workshops to children and youth in the community
1992- Office moves to the Red Cross offices on Finch Avenue West
1993- Programs are up and running: Community Mediation, Victim/Young Offender Mediation Program, Peer Mediation Training for Schools, Summer Conflict Resolution Program
1994- Office moves to 95 Eddystone Avenue (current location in 2003)
1995- Funding for Victim/Offender Program diminishes
1996- The Founder, Evan Heise, leaves “the fold” to work for Mennonite Central Committee full-time
- Partnership with Black Creek Focus and the five National banks and one trust company to provide improved access to banking services for low-income, refugee and newcomer activities (6 year project, ends in 2002)
1997- 10th year in operation
- Court Diversion Program for Private Information Court at the North York Courts begins
- Internship Program with York University Program begins
1998- CMS-D Celebrates 10 year anniversary at the June Annual General Meeting, local councillor Maria Augimeri presents CMS-D with an award
- Funding for a 2-year partnership with Salvador Del Mundo/Upwoods Park Co-op to pilot an internal multi-cultural mediation service for Co-op residents
1999- The victim/offender program is re-established with core dollars and with a 2-year project through Breaking the Cycle of Violence Grants (City of Toronto)
- Plans are developed to increase revenues though training and consulting services
2000- CMS-D offers a Community Mediation elective through York University’s Certificate in Dispute Resolution Program
- 2-year funding through National Crime Prevention Centre (Department of Justice) is received for the Partners for Conflict Resolution project aimed to develop an holistic conflict resolution and social skills program for K-OAC family of schools in the Jane-Finch community
2001- Judy Sgro (M.P, York West) recognizes CMS-D in the House of Commons “for developing community based programs to respond to crime with an emphasis on children and youth”, and is commended for, “hard work in fighting crime and keeping Canada’s communities safe
- Minister of Justice/Attorney General and the Solicitor General of Canada presents CMS-D with an award “for its commitment to creating safer communities in Canada”
- CMS-D received $325,000 over five years from Trillium foundation to help maintain programs and services and develop a long-term plan for sustainability
2002- 15th year in operation
- CMS-D increases space and updates technology
- Service levels at an all-time high
- Funding for the partners for conflict resolution project runs out despite success of program and government recognition
2003- CMS-D celebrates 15 year anniversary at the June Annual General Meeting
- United Way funds a 1-year project called “Help Increase the Peace – HIP” to deal with intergenerational conflict, violence, and peer pressure within the Caribbean youth community
- National Crime Prevention Centre funds year one of the “Youth Empowerment Strategy”, a project aimed at empowering youth to develop a crime prevention initiative in the Jane-Finch community
2004- CMS-D starts the Diverse Voices Project to connect with ethno-specific groups such as Spanish, Portuguese, Afghani, Somali and Caribbean.
- The “Youth Empowerment Strategy continues for phase II
2005- CMS-D is selected to administer the Youth Justice Committee for the Etobicoke and North York Communities
- CMS-D is chosen by the Ministry of Children and Youth Services to be a demonstration site for Restorative Justice for the province of Ontario
2006- CMS-D is given funds, through a United Way Newcomers’ Grant, to develop a Somali Peace Building Project
- CMS-D rolls out its Creating a Space to Transform (C.A.S.T.) Project, with the generous support of National Crime Prevention