We are grateful to each and every one of you for connecting with us.
May our offerings provide inspiration and ignite our power to create a greater conscious reality for all our relations.
In this issue, we spotlight the effectiveness of restorative justice. We also share updates on Vancouver becoming a Restorative City, along with restorative stories and resources.
Enjoy the following:
Restorative Vancouver
Restorative Justice: An Effective Pathway to Accountability, Healing, and Safety
Restorative approaches work!
The Restorative Justice movement has a long history and continues to grow
Building Capacities:
Líl̓wat Nation
Boys & Girls Club of the Okanagan
Restorative Resources
Upcoming RJ Conferences
Restorative Vancouver
Our journey to becoming a Restorative City is collaborative and transformative.
Come on in to our latest Restorative Collective Vancouver meeting and hear from some of our team with this short video.
“Everyone's working on separate issues, challenges and injustices in the city, and this is an opportunity to take a restorative approach to all of them… that would build on the strengths of the people and the organizations and the city, to address them together, in circle. All of that shows up in the Framework.” - Norm Leech
We’ve presented our inaugural Restorative City Framework to City Council and senior staff. While it was well received, sadly, City Council has not yet provided funding for initiatives for 2026.
Our Framework is also being shared with the host First Nations and provincial partners, and lots of discussions are occurring about what’s next. Our impactful journey of translating vision into more action continues!
We are grateful for the diversity, wisdom and commitment of so many who continue to walk alongside us. Thanking Betty Lepps and Collingwood Neighbourhood House for hosting our Collective meeting.
Thanking the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General for their ongoing support.
Join the movement to become more restorative!
Restorative Justice: An Effective Pathway to Accountability, Healing, and Safety
As the need for effective responses to polarization and harm grows, restorative approaches offer a solution.
Restorative justice offers facilitated processes where those who cause harm take responsibility, survivors/victims are heard as central active participants, needs are met, and root causes are addressed.
In best practice, everything is also contextualized - socioeconomically, politically, systemically - opening the doors to broader transformation. There is ongoing overrepresentation of Indigenous, racialized and marginalized people within the legal system that must be addressed.
Restorative justice is also fiscally responsible.
Legal responses are incredibly costly. Working with someone safely in the community costs far less than someone in the legal system and could provide 50-75% savings. Incarcerating one person in Canada costs $150,505/year; for women, $259,654/year (CCPA, 2025).
Investing in restorative justice means investing in prevention, healing, and safer communities.
What if everyone had access to a restorative pathway? Restorative practices are successfully used in many places – schools, communities, workplaces and legal systems. A great resource for diverse applications includes for hate crimes, sexual violence, and environmental issues.
Vancouver does not have a community-based restorative justice program.
Something we are working hard to change! Including through our Restorative City Framework and calling for funding a program to complement Indigenous justice.
Restorative approaches work!
Success stories are inspiring
A person who assaulted a stranger while in an acute mental health crisis is getting healthy, apologized to the victim, and volunteers at an organization of the victim’s choosing.
An employee who stole repeatedly from a business wrote an apology letter, committed to counselling, and volunteers in the community.
A person accused of sexual assault was referred by the prosecutor to Restorative Justice Victoria. After a 10-month process, the victim and offender met to discuss accountability. The man took responsibility and as part of his agreements, committed to getting professional help, sharing updates, and speaking up against sexualized violence in the community.
Imagine if everyone had another option beyond calling the police?
Imagine if police and prosecutors could refer cases to restorative justice for resolution?
Imagine if conflict led to connection instead of harm.
More about the above stories available here, by Roxanne Egan-Elliott, December 30, 2025.
Share your restorative stories with us! We’d love to feature them to support more awareness and inspiration ❤️
The restorative justice movement has a long history and continues to grow
In 1974, two youth went on a crime spree. For the first time in the criminal legal system of Canada, the court agreed that the people who caused harm could meet with their victims, there were 22.
Known as the “Elmira case”, the youth took responsibility and paid to repair the damages they caused.
Like so many participants, Russ Kelly in that case, credits restorative justice for changing his life. He was a grieving kid in foster care, his rampage due to alcohol and drug fuelled anger.
After experiencing restorative justice, Russ got sober, worked, married, and embraced public speaking to help others. He believes if he hadn't been offered a restorative approach, he would have become a repeat offender.
Community Justice Initiatives, the first restorative justice program in Canada, was formed and more than 50 years later, it continues to serve the Waterloo Region with a multitude of expanded services, including for identity-based harm, sexual harm, and an array of community issues.
Community Justice Initiatives for the Fraser Region was formed a few years later in 1985, also continuing to offer services as the oldest restorative justice program in BC.
Check out an article “The Birth and Future of Restorative Justice in Waterloo Region”
by Fiona McAlister, February 2026.
Building Capacities
Líl̓wat Nation
Leaders of Líl̓wat Nation came together to complete Peace Circles: The Fundamentals, a powerful gathering rooted in connection and collaborative learning.
We applaud and thank all the participants - representing advocacy, community services, community programs, community school, child & family services, Council, health & healing, workplace wellness, human resources, and recreation.
A special appreciation of Chief Dean Nelson for joining us for our three-day immersion with such humility, commitment, and wisdom. Also thanking Lesley Becker for organizing and bringing us together at the beautiful Ts̓zil Learning Centre! Facilitator Dr. Evelyn Zellerer is so inspired by the participants and their stunning territory.
We acknowledge and support First Nation’s self-governance and sovereignty.
Pala7míntwal̓ i Ucwalmícwa múta7 ti Tmícwa:
The People and the Land are One.
Boys & Girls Club of the Okanagan
Deepening and celebrating peace circles training with folks in Kelowna, BC!
Having completed the pre-requisite Fundamentals training, restorative justice coordinators and volunteers, family and youth counsellors, and managers came together for Peace Circles: Deeper Dive, stepping into next level learning, reflection, and practice.
Thanking the BGC Okanagan, especially Jenn Paquette, for hosting.
Facilitator Dr. Evelyn Zellerer extends her appreciation for the dedication to growing this work, strengthening relationships, and restorative ways of being.
Restorative Resources
“Restorative Justice Up Close: First-Person Accounts of an Approach that Works”
A powerful book of voices who have experienced a restorative process. Learn how restorative dialogue creates understanding, accountability, healing, justice and safety.
Just released! Available here
Editor Sally Swarthout Wolf
The New Press, February 2026
Free Webinar: “Human Work in Complex Conditions: Trauma Responsive Restorative Advocacy”
12:00pm EST, March 24, 2026
An introduction to a practice that honours the humanity and well-being of practitioners and those we serve, and supports dignity-centered work.
Zehr Institute for Restorative Justice
We are living in a time when cruelty and violence are normalized, and war is justified.
Read/Listen to Nonviolence Radio, including this recent episode:
Why Peace is More Human than War
Metta Center for Nonviolence
“The knowledge of how to do better exists, in restorative justice practice, in community-led peacebuilding, in the patient and profoundly human work of sitting across from someone you fear and choosing to understand rather than to destroy… it is the only work that has ever, in human history, actually made peace.” - Dr. Theo Gavrielides
At Peace of the Circle, we stand for peacemaking and an end to all wars. This is a pragmatic appeal.
It is vital that we let go of the “us and them” narrative and embrace our shared humanity.
Restorative justice offers a path toward ending cycles of violence and building safety together, toward a future of peace.
Read this powerful restorative appeal as a response to recent wars by our colleague Dr. Theo Gavrielides, Restorative Justice for All International Institute.
Upcoming RJ Conferences
Justice as Trauma Summit
Vancouver
April 7-9, 2026
13th International Conference of the European Forum for Restorative Justice
Poland
June 11-13, 2026
10th National Conference on
Community and Restorative Justice, USA
New Orleans
July 7-10, 2026
Provincial Restorative Justice Symposium, BC
Location to be announced
September 22-23, 2026
Canadian Institute for the Administration of Justice Conference:
“Reimagining Law and Justice Through Restorative Approaches”
Ottawa
October 27-28, 2026
Canadian National Restorative Justice Symposium
Saskatoon
November 16-17, 2026
There are more resources and prior news on our blog…
Thank you for being in Circle with us!
With Love,
Evelyn and Peace of the Circle Team
Founding Director, Dr. Evelyn Zellerer