As we get close to the end of John Howard Society Week, we’re continuing to recognize our staff by announcing winners of the Leadership Award. This award goes to staff members who show strong leadership qualities. Through times of crisis and with a steady hand, those nominated show their ability to support the mission and vision of JHSS while supporting their co-workers in a positive way.

We had several names come forward and it came down to a tie. Both winners were nominated more than once.

The winners are:

  • Gordon Fox
  • Irene Yanick
  • Gordon Fox
  • Irene Yanick
Leadership Award Winners

Below are some notes from the nomination letters they received from their peers:

Gordon Fox
“Gord maintains a strong sense of humor and dedication to working within trying times. He consistently shows up and supports staff and youth when they are struggling, and when they are not. He is a joy to work with and he can be seen engaging youth playing cards, listening to music, going to get coffee, or just being a friendly ear. He listens with patience and offers strong example of how to face adversity with action and commitment. He is a leader who inspires and he builds a team atmosphere with those he works with by encouraging discourse and consistency. As a co-worker, I never have to guess what Gord is thinking, expecting, or if he is going to actually help out with the work (as he always does).”

Irene Yanick
“Irene is one of the best people in a stressful time. Through all of COVID-19, she has been a vital part of running many different programs. She is someone that you can explain a broad concept to, and she will make the vision come true. Irene is organized, and stays more on top of things than anyone else.”

“We are so lucky to have Irene on our staff, as it makes us all better.”

Congratulations to Gord and Irene! We are stronger because of you.

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Today, we’re continuing our celebration of John Howard Society Week by announcing staff winners of the Client Engagement Award. This award goes to nominated staff members who have gone the extra mile in engaging their clients. Supporting vulnerable individuals is hard work, and we want to recognize those who go above and beyond to engage and support their clients.

We had several names come forward and it came down to a three way tie again! All winners were nominated more than once.

The winners are:

  • Ryan McCorriston
  • Abdikadir Warsame
  • Marilee Brown
  • Ryan McCorriston
  • Abdikadir Warsame
  • Marilee Brown
Client Engagement Award Winners

Below are some notes from the nomination letters they received from their peers:

Ryan McCorriston
“Ryan is consistently going above and beyond for our clients in terms of his level of engagement and interest in our clients lives. He takes time to get to know them and has been a rock in the residential programs during COVID. His calm demeanour is not only grounding to the clients he works with but transfers to the staff as well.”

Abdikadir Warsame
“Kadir is the best at being fully present with the youth. He dedicates his time to picking up any new hobby he is presented with. I’ve seen him watch tutorial after tutorial to learn card tricks, board games, and new skills. He takes the youth skiing, snowboarding, sledding, and skating. Kadir doesn’t just pretend to be interested, he dives in with real enthusiasm.”

Marilee Brown
“Marilee always brings out the best in our youth, and is nurturing, I have learned a lot from her as a new staff.”
“She is always trying to do the best for the kids.”

Congratulations to all three of you! Your hard work and efforts towards supporting the youth and clients in your care is so important, and we are so grateful for your efforts.

We’ll be back tomorrow with the Leadership Award announcement. Cheers everyone! Have a good day!

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Did you know that it’s John Howard Society Week? It’s a time each February when branches of John Howard across Canada advocate for various justice issues and share their work with the public.

One thing we’re doing here in Saskatchewan to celebrate this week is handing out awards to staff who were nominated by their peers. Today, we’re announcing winners of the Team Player Award. This award goes to staff members who have worked well within their team. Whether it’s through supporting other staff members or doing things before they are asked, these employees embody the team mentality, working for the good of everyone they work with.

We had several names come forward and it came down to a three way tie! Each person listed was nominated more than once.

The winners of the Team Player Award are:

  • Maddison Osmak
  • Dominic Savior
  • Taylor Chikukwa
  • Madisson Osmak
  • Dominic Savior
  • Taylor Chikukwa
Team Player Award Winners

Below are some notes from the nomination letters they received from their peers:

Madisson Osmak & Dominic Savior
“Each of these individuals are always on time, they usually finish their tasks and don’t pass them on to the next shift. They work well with the other staff members and don’t complain about things.”

Dominic Savior
“Dominic is one who can be counted on usually when staffing is down and we need someone to fill a shift.”

Taylor Chikukwa
“She is easy to talk to and helpful when you need it. Sometimes, she does my day shift task when she has free time and that gives me more time to engage with the youth.”

Congratulations to all three of you! Our staff are what make John Howard Society of Saskatchewan such a great place to work. Stay tuned for more award winners throughout the week.

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Episode Summary

There’s nothing quite like a mother’s love for her child. It’s fierce. Protective. The perfect mix of strength and softness blended together. On today’s episode, two mothers share their stories about what it’s like to have a child in prison and the lengths they will go to support them. We explore the impact of incarceration on families, specifically in the context of the COVID-19 outbreak and the love a mother has for her son.

You can listen at the following link, or download anywhere you listen to podcasts: https://knowjustice.simplecast.com/episodes/love-in-the-time-of-covid

Episode Notes

Special thanks to Julie Paul and Stella Cote for sharing their stories with us. Their courage is inspiring and we stand with you.

Thank you to Night Kinistino for your incredible poetry reading. It was beautiful, and we are grateful!

Credit to Jayda Taylor and CTV News Saskatoon for the audio news clip about the riot at Prince Albert Correctional Centre.

You can read more about the protest here: Mothers return to Regina Correctional Centre, dance in support of inmates.

Please subscribe and rate our podcast on whichever listening platform you use. You can connect with us any time on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn. 

If you have any suggestions, topic or guest ideas, or are just looking to connect, please send us a direct message on any one of our social media platforms.

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Do you listen to podcasts?

We are really excited to announce our new podcast, Know Justice: Conversations around justice and advocacy for those at risk of injustice.

If that seems interesting to you, we’d love it if you’d listen. Then be sure to subscribe, rate and share to help spread the word!

Check out the first episode of Know Justice here, or wherever you listen to podcasts: https://knowjustice.simplecast.com/episodes/the-rights-of-inmates

Episode Notes: In this inaugural episode of Know Justice, host Blair Roberts introduces you to the podcast and the John Howard Society of Saskatchewan. We dive into deeper conversation around prisoner rights and why its important we as a society recognize and advocate for them. We interview Pierre Hawkins, Public Legal Counsel at John Howard Society of Saskatchewan, to learn more about his work supporting inmates with discipline issues while they are in prison. Thanks for listening to episode 1!

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During Restorative Justice Week, we are highlighting community champions that embody the principles and practice of restorative justice in our Province.

Helen Smith-McIntrye has been a tireless advocate for the disenfranchised and downtrodden throughout her life. We’ve chosen to honour her as we’ve seen her efforts to bring justice to the people we serve and the communities she is part of.

Helen Smith-McIntyre

Helen spent 20 years employed in the field at Saskatoon Community Mediation Services, living the philosophy of restorative justice by putting it into practice each and every day. She continues to follow that passion for mediation work as a volunteer with St. Thomas Wesley United Church, where she helps to facilitate a Restorative Justice circle.

Helen also has a passion for supporting refugees, having spent time as Chair of the Saskatoon Refugee Coalition and as a trainer with the Refugee Sponsorship Training Program. Helen has also spent time as Chair of the Saskatchewan Restorative Justice Network, leading and coordinating efforts to bring Restorative Justice principles and practices to our Province. She has also worked with Amnesty International, a global non-profit focused on fighting injustice and for human rights.

Saskatchewan would not be what it is without Helen Smith-McIntyre. Thank you, Helen, for all that you mean to our Province and the city of Saskatoon!

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During Restorative Justice Week, we are highlighting community champions that embody the principles and practice of restorative justice in our Province.

Today, we are pleased to recognize the husband and wife team of Richard (not pictured) and Susan Ulmer of Susan Ulmer Addiction Services. They run one of our key partner agencies in Regina, connecting clients to support when they are ready to address their addiction issues. SUAS is a 22-Day Intensive Outpatient Treatment program. This program is designed to allow clients to attend school, work or look after their families. This program deals with your guilts and resentments, drinking and using history, and the cost of your addiction. The Outpatient program is followed by a 20-hour Relapse Prevention Program. This program is designed to deal with people, places, and things that can take the client back out using. Their mission is to provide confidential, compassionate treatment and to allow clients the ability to heal and become a proactive member of society.

Richard and Susan support our mutual clients free of charge through their Addiction and Relapse Prevention programming! The way they support their clients is remarkable. Richard and Susan are very professional and caring individuals. They create great relationships with the people they serve and we regularly hear how well everyone is treated during their time with this agency! They have not stopped serving their clients throughout this pandemic, recognizing how important it is for their clients to get the counseling and support that they offer!

We have partnered with them in our Liberty Lodge Justice Housing program, connecting clients to their services, as well as offering space in our housing program for their clients. Richard and Susan are amazing people that offer so much for the community and very much deserve praise for the work they do. Thank you Richard and Susan Ulmer!

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During Restorative Justice Week, we want to highlight community champions that embody the principles and practice of restorative justice in our Province.

Edna Bruce has lived in Prince Albert her entire life. She has been married to her husband Jim for 43 years, and has 3 children that are all grown up, along with 13 grandkids and 2 great grandkids!

Edna Bruce

She has worked at the YWCA Prince Albert for 32 years and has been managing the Our House program the past 13 years. Edna is such an asset to the community of Prince Albert. She works with those living in homelessness and offers her support and guidance to those in need of housing. Edna is kind, caring, and fair. She is a generous soul who has a heart of gold, and shares this with everyone she meets.

Thank you for being a champion for Restorative Justice, Edna! You are very deserving of this recognition, and are grateful to call you a partner of the John Howard Society of Saskatchewan!

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During Restorative Justice Week, we want to highlight community champions that embody the principles and practice of restorative justice in our Province.

Donna Blondeau has been the Victim Services Coordinator with the Moose Jaw Police Service since 1994. Donna brings a wealth of education and experience to her role, having received her Bachelor of Arts Advanced Degree in Psychology and being a Certified Trauma Services Specialist. She also trains the community on issues related to Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder and has been a presenter at the Saskatchewan Police College. Donna is also licensed as a Heartmath Qualified Coherence Advantage Instructor for First Responders and as a Coach/Mentor for Building Resilience.

Donna Blondeau and Kane

In 2015, she started the Intervention K9 program and became handler to the good-est boy in the whole wide world, Kane! Kane assists Donna in her role of supporting individuals and families that have been victims of crime. Kane was chosen specifically for this job because of his calm temperament and stable demeanor.

Donna and Kane support our work at John Howard Society of Saskatchewan by volunteering as a Victim Surrogate team on behalf of those who have been harmed, standing in the gap during mediation as we seek restorative justice for both the offender and victim. While Donna stands in as the victim, Kane assists in helping to reduce the stress for individuals in highly emotional situations.

Kane is a positive distraction for those struggling through the process, and proves to be especially effective in supporting children and persons with disabilities. Donna received special training to handle Kane, and they work together as a team to bring healing in the midst of trauma and hurt. They work together as a team, and the city of Moose Jaw is better for it!

Thanks, Donna and Kane! We are grateful for you both.

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