Hastings Sunrise was selected by the Collective as Vancouver’s first restorative neighbourhood as part of becoming a Restorative City. Our team continues to regularly meet to advance this dynamic initiative, with a focus this past year on developing a new restorative justice program for the neighbourhood.

The first cohort of local peacemakers received more training and ongoing mentoring. They have been co-facilitating dialogue circles on various topics including with youth, interfaith connections, the Chinese diaspora, staff team building, and collaboration among local organizations. Applauding over 21 dialogue circles so far!

“We’re moving forward in spite of every obstacle.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity and investment in us.”

“I feel connected. I’m hopeful.”

Local neighbourhood leaders and organizations were also brought together again to build relationships and shape the vision for a restorative neighbourhood. Rich exchanges and insights were shared where we used a world café format to explore two key questions: What is a restorative neighbourhood? and What restorative practices are already happening in Hastings Sunrise?

We also provide annual training.

Applauding the participants from Professional Standards as well as HR and Diversity, Community, and Indigenous Relations who completed the latest training facilitated by Dr. Evelyn Zellerer and Norm Leech.

“The VPD recognizes that restorative justice offers a compassionate and transformative approach to addressing harm within communities, fostering accountability, and healing through dialogue and reconciliation. The VPD supports Vancouver becoming a Restorative City and looks forward to continuing to further develop restorative justice practices throughout the city.”
~ Adam Palmer, former Chief Constable, VPD

A Working Group on Restorative Cities with the European Forum for Restorative Justice began a two-year term with representatives from 12 countries.

Dr. Evelyn Zellerer is Co-Chair, representing Restorative City Vancouver, along with Jolan Van den Broeck, policy advisor at Halt juvenile diversion service in the Netherlands.

Dr. Evelyn is facilitating a mastermind approach tailored to this working group. They are having very informative dialogues!

We’re delighted to continue our partnership with the Sea to Sky School District. Celebrating all the educators who completed the first and second level trainings with Dr. Evelyn Zellerer!

These three-day immersions brought together administrators, teachers, counsellors, Indigenous educators, and support workers. We extend heartfelt acknowledgement for participants of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh and Lil’wat Nations, and students who shared songs and drumming.

As recommended, they are taking a whole school and whole district approach. The impact is showing, as culture changes and suspensions dramatically drop.

“With the training, there are clear ripples throughout the district. This process provides consistency, structure and flexibility which really works.”

“I’m so proud of the young kids. They had conflict and were so respectful in circle and they worked it out.”

Enjoy our short videos with training highlights on our new YouTube channel!

We greatly appreciate the leadership of Cory Hartling, Josie Moore, and Phillip Clarke. This work took place at St’a7mes School and on the unceded territory of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation).

We are honoured to work with the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation on Vancouver Island.

Members of the nation’s Justice Department, along with invited guests from victim services and probation, gathered for training with Dr. Evelyn Zellerer at their oceanfront Tin Wis Resort in Načiks, now known as Tofino.

Grounded in culture and community-led justice, in this three-day immersion we learned so much about gathering, healing and resolution.

A special thank you to Justice Manager Curtis Joseph (Tayiisimčił) and the Elders who so generously shared.

His-shuk-nish-tsa-waak (we are all one)

We gathered again on beautiful Pender Island to dive into all things Circle, this time focusing on suitability and preparation, with facilitator Dr. Evelyn Zellerer.

This wonderful program was a fabulous host alongside Lifeboat Academy, and we applaud the participants who completed a tailored version of our “Peace Circles: Deeper Dive” training.

“Circle for me is hope. We’re in a world that’s really screwed up.

Circles are the only real tool that I know of that’s effective, connects people, creates real understanding, gives meaning and leads to change.”

We are excited to partner with the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Okanagan to provide training.

Congratulations to two cohorts – including staff, youth workers, counsellors, managers, program facilitators, and restorative justice volunteers – for completing “Peace Circles: The Fundamentals” training with Dr. Evelyn Zellerer.

We are grateful to all the Councillors who joined us in person, from left to right in the photo: Mike Klassen, Pete Fry, Lucy Maloney, Sean Orr, Peter Meiszner, Rebecca Bligh, Lisa Dominato, Lenny Zhou, and Sarah Kirby-Yung.

Special thanks to the staff who joined our circle: Donny van Dyk, City Manager, Sandra Singh, Deputy City Manager, Margaret Wittgens, General Manager, Arts, Culture and Community Services, and Michelle Bryant-Gravelle, Senior Director, Indigenous Relations.

We also had an amazing group of witnesses and supports, including Armin Amrolia, Deputy City Manager, Patrick O’Connor, Director Legislative Affairs, Marta Filipski, Assistant Director, Sonia Bianchi, Assistant Director, Aslam Bulbulia, workplace restoration team HR, Staff Sgt McRae, VPD, as well as Michael Wiebe and Clair MacGougan from our leadership team.

And of course, the whole amazing Restorative Collective Vancouver was with us in spirit!

“Being restorative is fundamentally about recognizing our interconnectedness, appreciating the gifts that come from our diversity, and fostering respectful, healthy, just relations.” – Dr. Evelyn Zellerer

Stay tuned as the journey continues, including a public launch!

Thanking Hon. Terry Yung for his video as he was unable to join us in person since he was in the legislature. We greatly appreciated his acknowledgement of “the monumental achievement and success that the Restorative Collective has had in bringing Vancouver forward as a restorative city.”

Yes “change is possible when we work together.”

And we agree that with our “passion and determination the work of justice, equality, and reconciliation will be realized.”

Some reflections from participants of the Collective included:

“This gives hope, which we really need right now.”

 

“We have found a way to get along.”

 

“You have done incredible work that is sustainable.”

Follow along on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn as we share stories, updates, and opportunities.

Within the broader goal of becoming a Restorative City, the Restorative Collective Vancouver also came to a consensus to create restorative neighbourhoods.

In building restorative neighbourhoods, the focus is on contributing to the culture of the place, strengthening relationships, effective communication, collaborative decision-making, preventing crime, and resolving issues, conflicts, and harm.

Inspiration is drawn from the RJ4All International Institute to create the world’s 1st “restorative justice postcode” in London, England. They obtained a building as their hub for multiple services.

An exciting project just launched in Nova Scotia, CIRCLES-NS (Creating Integrated Restorative Communities for Locally Engaged Solutions), with a $1 million investment to the Restorative Lab at Dalhousie University. With its seed funding, their first lab will focus on community safety.

For our first neighbourhood, Hastings Sunrise, the leadership team continues to regularly meet. The first cohort of Hastings Sunrise peacemakers continue to facilitate dialogue circles. Thus far, 21 dialogue circles have been held on a variety of topics.

Everyone is invited:

“Gathering Our Journeys Across Borders:
A Community Circle of Immigrant Stories”

4:00 – 5:30 pm, November 27, 2025
Vancouver Public Library Hastings branch
2674 E. Hastings St

Refreshments will be served

Free, please register via email ninak@hscpc.com

Peacemaker’s training and mentoring are ongoing. We just completed a training on agreements and outcomes to help further prepare peacemakers for more complex circles. Co-facilitated by Gillian Lindquist and Dr. Evelyn Zellerer.

If you live in this neighbourhood and would like to experience a facilitated dialogue or to resolve a conflict, harm or crime, let us know.

Frog Hollow Neighbourhood House, Hastings Sunrise Community Policing Centre, and Peace of the Circle are partnering for this initiative. We are grateful for the City of Vancouver and the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General for funding.

Restorative approaches offer a powerful way forward and is recommended in various reports. The report of the Special Committee on Reforming the Police Act, “Transforming Policing and Community Safety in British Columbia” (2022), recommended:

“Expanding the use of culturally appropriate restorative justice programs throughout BC, including increased funding for these programs and education for police officers.”

We are celebrating the third year of our Restorative Complaint Resolution training for the Vancouver Police Department!

The Restorative Complaint Resolution (RCR) utilizes a peace circle process. The Office of the Police Complaints Commissioner determines which complaints files are suitable for consideration. The restorative circle process is voluntary and led by independent non-police facilitators.

To date, four Police Act cases have been successfully resolved through RCR.

We applaud the participants from Professional Standards as well as HR and Diversity, Community, and Indigenous Relations who completed the latest training facilitated by Dr. Evelyn Zellerer and Norm Leech.

“The VPD recognizes that restorative justice offers a compassionate and transformative approach to addressing harm within communities, fostering accountability, and healing through dialogue and reconciliation. The VPD supports Vancouver becoming a Restorative City and looks forward to continuing to further develop restorative justice practices throughout the city.”

– Adam Palmer, former Chief Constable, VPD

Restorative Justice Week is celebrated the third week of November since 1996 in Canada and is expanding globally ever since!

International #RJWeek 2025 is a wonderful opportunity to connect, learn, raise awareness, and explore diverse applications and innovation of restorative approaches.

Check out what’s happening locally to you and around the world. For example:

The European Forum for Restorative Justice offers a map, calendar and resources.

RJ4All offers something daily.

Our colleagues in Brazil offer a campaign and opportunities on the Círculos em Movimento platform.

Restorative Justice Victoria offers a free online training:
”Collaboration and Capacity Building in Victim Services and Restorative Justice.”

It offers critical thinking and skill-building around victim-sensitive practice and RJ application.

Access it here

Our current focus includes:

• Our inaugural Restorative City Framework as it goes through its final review process. We met with senior City staff again and our partners across multiple sectors. Next steps are sharing it with the four local governments. Stay tuned!
• ⁠Collaboratively advancing our first restorative neighbourhood initiative in Hastings Sunrise.
• ⁠Continuing building relations and partnerships, locally and beyond!
  Dr. Evelyn Zellerer is co-chair of the Working Group on Restorative Cities, European Forum for Restorative Cities, with representatives from 12 countries.

We are honoured to work with the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation on Vancouver Island.

Members of the nation’s Justice Department, along with invited guests from victim services and probation, gathered for training with Dr. Evelyn Zellerer at their beautiful oceanfront Tin Wis Resort in Načiks, now known as Tofino.

Grounded in culture, connection, and community-led justice, they shared stories, deepened relationships, and learned many tools to support healing and conflict resolution. Powerfully, the resort and conference centre used to be a residential school that has now been transformed and is owned and operated by this First Nation.

Another wonderful group of peace circle facilitators emerged in Kelowna! Please join us in celebrating everyone who completed Peace Circles: Fundamentals training, with Dr. Evelyn Zellerer.

Hosted by the BGC Okanagan, with special thanks to the leadership of Jenn Paquette.

Our Circle was full with care, curiosity and lots of learning as we engaged in deep dialogue.

Participants included family counsellors, youth workers, managers, program facilitators, and restorative justice volunteers. We appreciate all they shared, including such positive evaluations and feedback!

We’re thrilled to celebrate passionate educators across the Sea to Sky School District who completed the next level Peace Circles: Deeper Dive training with Dr. Evelyn Zellerer!

Three immersive days were spent diving into implementing Circles in schools, for all kinds of purposes, especially for difficult situations involving conflict and harm.

There are four main stages of the process – suitability, preparation, gathering, and follow up.

From practicing facilitation skills to the power of effective questions and the heart of relationship building, the learning was rich, real and rooted. Some comments from participants included:

An online course about the essential, complex role of meaningful evaluation of restorative justice:

“Measuring What Matters in Ways that Matter – Principles, Challenges, and Methodologies of Quality Restorative Evaluation.”

Every 2 weeks, September 18-November 3, 2025, with Dr. Terence Bevington, hosted by EFRJ:  Register

It is uplifting to be in Circle with many people, communities and organizations creating spaces for peacemaking and restorative justice. May the news and resources we share provide connection, encouragement and inspiration. You are not alone and you are loved.

This month, we are thrilled to share recent trainings and advancing initiatives for Vancouver becoming a Restorative City. We’re also excited to connect with colleagues around the world.

Resources that caught our attention are highlighted, including: Restorative Justice Art, what to do about toxic polarization, a twice-nominated Nobel Peace Prize documentary, and upcoming RJ conferences.

Our current focus is on:

• Finalizing our inaugural Restorative City Framework. We met with senior City staff again and after more edits, the latest draft is now with our partners across multiple sectors for their final review. It’s coming!
• ⁠Collaboratively advancing our first restorative neighbourhood initiative in Hastings Sunrise – see below for details:

The Restorative Cities Working Group with the European Forum for Restorative Justice has begun a two-year journey!

Our founding director, Dr. Evelyn Zellerer representing Restorative City Vancouver Canada, is Co-Chair along with Jolan Van den Broeck, policy advisor at Halt, the primary Dutch juvenile diversion service, and representing restorative city initiatives in the Netherlands.

They facilitated the inaugural meeting and we welcome a diverse group with representatives from 12 countries! Navigating time zones between Australia – Europe – North America is challenging, but we did it with the generosity of members getting up super early and staying up late. The introduction round was inspiring.

Their next meetings will focus on collaboratively creating a workplan, honouring the work that’s been done thus far and focusing on the implementation of restorative cities.

The publication, “A Journey Around Restorative Cities in the World”, is available to download.

The participants who completed our “Peace Circles: Deeper Dive” training hosted by the Southern Gulf Islands Community Justice Program deserve a round of applause!

We gathered on beautiful Pender Island to dive into all things circle, including learning all about suitability and preparation, facilitator role playing, and lots of rich learning dialogue with facilitator Dr. Evelyn Zellerer.

(we hope you also love her photography! This sunset is from her hike; self-care and connecting with the land are vital.)

Dr. Evelyn Zellerer was impressed with how deep this group went during their first Circles training. Special thanks to Jenn Paquette for her fabulous hosting.

“We laughed hard, cried, and learned lots!” – participant

A timely episode of Nonviolence Radio: When Toxic Polarization Becomes a Civil War – And What We Can do About It.

Hear from international peacebuilder, mediator and scholar John Paul Lederach who offers practical wisdom. He draws upon his latest book – another resource to also check out: “The Pocket Guide for Facing Down a Civil War“

We hope to inspire and uplift you with recent highlights of our peacemaking journey, along with offering resources and upcoming conferences (including in Cyprus and Greece!).

Our first Restorative Neighbourhood initiative, Hastings Sunrise, is progressing well. This is an exciting part of Vancouver becoming a Restorative City.

Building capacities and training are a big part of what we love to do. We are thrilled to continue our partnership with the Sea to Sky School District. We have a new short video of the latest training!

We are also grateful to have celebrated Lunar New Year with Premier Eby and in community. The Nisga’a New Year Hoobiyee celebrations is February 28 and March 1 in Vancouver, honouring the many Indigenous Nations participating.

Let’s collaboratively create a much brighter future for all.

Peace of the Circle is so grateful to partner with Frog Hollow Neighbourhood House and Hastings Sunrise Community Policing Centre.

We thank our funders who make this possible, City of Vancouver, Law Foundation of BC, and Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General.

Stay tuned for the Restorative City Framework – currently under review by the City of Vancouver!

It’s inspiring to deepen our partnership with Sea to Sky School District.  Join us in celebrating another fantastic group of administrators, teachers, counsellors, Indigenous educators, outreach & support workers who completed Peace Circles: The Fundamentals training!

It’s uplifting to celebrate Lunar New Year in community and with government leaders this year with Premier David Eby, Hon. Terry Yung, Minister of State for Community Safety and Integrated Services, Hon. Christine Boyle, Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation, and many more!

We are thrilled to see restorative justice and Indigenous justice prominently featured in the Agenda for Justice 2025 report released by the Canadian Bar Association BC Branch!

“CBABC calls on the B.C. government to increase access to restorative justice services in communities across the province, including Indigenous communities.”

Recommendations include an action plan and to “Increase funding for restorative justice providers to enable service delivery in all parts of B.C.”

Vancouver still lacks a citywide restorative justice program; something we are advocating for as part of becoming a restorative city.

We look forward to working collaboratively with partners and government moving forward. The full report includes over 30 recommendations supporting accessible, equitable and fair legal and justice systems. Report and briefing notes available here.