1991: The Nova Scotia Victims Services Division of the Department of Attorney General provided a $30,000 grant to Halifax based Family SOS to bring a representative from New Zealand to deliver seminars about the New Zealand Act, and develop a FGC demonstration project. That same year, the government of British Columbia included FGC in the Child Family and Community Services Act resulting in the establishment of several FGC programs in the province.
1992: The first FGC program in Canada and likely North America, was developed in three communities in Newfoundland Labrador. The Family Decision-Making Demonstration Project, spearheaded by Gale Burford and Joan Pennell, professors at that time in Memorial University, provided the ground breaking study that influenced the development of many FGC programs throughout North American, Britain and Ireland.
The Family Group Conferencing Project - Etobikoke
A New Option in Child Protection Planning, Kelowna Community Resources
Family Group Decision Making, The Manitoba ExperienceThe Bridge Program facilitates Family Group Conferences or healing Circles. This is a meeting of victims, offenders, their support people and anyone else in the community affected by a specific crime or incident to create a relevant solution to the problem. This can be parallel to the court process or as an alternative.
McMan Youth, Family and Community Service Association, Medicine Hat, Alberta
Confessions of a Family Group Conference Coordinator, Sheila Ozeer
Family Group Conference, Abbotsford B.C
The first FGC program in Nova Scotia was developed by Joan Glode, Executive Director of Mi'kmaq Family and Children's Services and featured in International Institute for Restorative Practices Family Group Conferencing Worldwide: Part One in a Series by Laura Mirsky.
If you know of more Canadian FGCprograms please contact me at c.harawitz@exit0.com