Volunteers

2011 Taylor Award Recipient

Quebec

Congratulations to the 2011 Taylor Award recipient, Gilles David!

Gilles David is one of the co-founders of the Centre de services de justice réparatrice (CSJR). For the past 10 years, he has volunteered his time with offenders in CSC institutions. He leads Victim-Offender Encounters (VOE) between offenders, victims and community representatives. These meetings result in offenders finding ways to alleviate the suffering of their victims as well as their own distress.

Gilles works in close cooperation with program officials at Montée Saint-François Institution. He has participated in many public meetings and through his outstanding involvement has contributed to promoting volunteerism and offender reintegration. The energy, creativity, dedication and compassion that he demonstrates through his involvement with offenders, victims, and facilitators are a reflection of his commitment to offender reintegration and an example of effective volunteerism with CSC.

2011 Taylor Award Regional Nominees

Pacific

Congratulations to the Pacific Region’s 2011 Taylor Award nominee, Meredith Egan!

Meredith has volunteered with Correctional Service Canada for 20 years, passionately sharing her time and energy promoting the principles of Restorative Justice. She shares her experience and knowledge with inmates, staff and community partners, working tirelessly to connect outside agencies and institutions to assist offenders with their reintegration. In so doing, she has brought Restorative Justice to the forefront of daily correctional operations while assisting offenders to make changes in their thinking, behaviour and values.

Meredith has a passion for Restorative Justice and the needs of people in difficult circumstances. She has compassion for everyone and a boundless capacity to listen and engage victims and offenders alike.

In her volunteerism, Meredith lives the values and principles of Restorative Justice while contributing to greater public safety.

Prairie

Congratulations to the Prairie Region’s 2011 Taylor Award nominees, Ed and Gwen Lantz!

Ed and Gwen Lantz exemplify the spirit of dedication and caring. Ed has been an active CSC Chapel Volunteer for 33 years, serving at Edmonton Institution, Edmonton Institution for Women, Grande Cache, Pê Sâkâstêw Centre, Bowden, and Drumheller. In addition to his involvement in Chapel services and projects, Ed has been instrumental in the facilitation of the Alternatives to Violence Program.  He initiated the Malachi Dads Program (which encourages men to be responsible fathers) at both Edmonton and Grande Cache Institution.

Ed Lantz’s involvement includes the supportive participation of his wife, Gwen Lantz, a volunteer for the past 19 years. Together they have been energetic and consistent in their approach to recruiting and training prison ministry volunteers. Ed and Gwen Lantz are well-respected ministers who serve with tremendous care and support.

Ontario

Congratulations to the Ontario Region’s 2011 Taylor Award nominee, Sister Peggy Malcolm!

Sister Peggy Malcolm has positively affected the offender population and Collins Bay Institution by leading a support group every week that helps to increase the men’s self-awareness and how they relate to others. She meets with offenders every week to teach them music for the worship services. She also attends the Roman Catholic (RC) worship on Sunday afternoons and leads the music. In the absence of a Chaplain, she has led the RC worship service many times. She was instrumental in developing a Prison Ministry training program for volunteers at the Archdiocese of Kingston.

Sister Peggy works tirelessly in the community with various committees. She works with young offenders in custody, with released inmates, and is continually building partnerships and community awareness of prison ministry and the challenges of reintegration. She lives and practices restorative justice in all she does, providing support and a voice for victims, offenders and the community in a challenging and inclusive way.

Atlantic

Congratulations to the Atlantic Region’s 2011 Taylor Award nominee, Donald Bonnar!

Don Bonnar has served as a CSC volunteer for over 45 years. His many years of dedication and volunteer work in Chaplaincy, both in CSC institutions and in the community, have contributed to the safe reintegration of offenders into their communities. He is an example of someone who overcame life-controlling issues to go on to be a productive member of society. He volunteered at Atlantic Institution from the time of its opening in 1987 until the fall of 2007. His volunteerism took the form of participation in chapel services two or three times per week. A gifted musician, Don sings and plays several stringed instruments as well as keyboards. He provides music for the hymns and choruses that were part of the worship services in the chapel. Don’s listening skills and wealth of personal life experiences equipped him to provide empathy within the correctional milieu, leaving an indelible, positive mark on all that he has done.