The City of Kenora's Crime Prevention and Community Well-Being Advisory Committee is an active community partner building a healthier, safer community for all. As a resource to Council, the Committee provides information and guidance on crime prevention and community well-being matters.
Crime Prevention and Community Well-Being Advisory Committee mandate
The Crime Prevention and Community Well-Being (CPCWB) Advisory Committee has several responsibilities. Their first task was to develop a Community Safety and Well-Being Plan, along with details on how they will roll out the plan.
The CPCWB Advisory Committee will report to Council and the community on the areas of action in the plan and its progress.
Other important roles are:
- encouraging and promoting innovation, partnerships, and creativity in community safety and well-being
- increasing awareness about the perception of crime, the risk factors of being involved in the criminal justice system, and protective factors that reduce those risks.
Youth photo contest
Youth of Kenora, ages 12 to 25, were invited to participate in the Youth Photo Contest: My Community, My Lens. We received many photos about what youth love most about living in Kenora were submitted and some will be featured as part of the Community Safety and Well-being Plan Report and in future publications.
CPCWB Advisory Committee meeting schedule
The Committee meets on the third Friday of each month, unless otherwise posted. The next meeting is:
- Friday, April 25, 2025 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in the Training Room at the Operations Building, 60 Fourteenth Street North. The agenda will be posted before the meeting date.
Meeting takeaways
During each meeting, the Committee highlights three key takeaways. At the meeting on March 21, the Committee discussed the following:
- The next steps, including the need to recognize and celebrate the hard work of the community, the partners, and the City in completing the Community Safety and Well-Being (CSWB) Plan.
- A communications strategy to help promote the CSWB Plan which will include a public event.
- How the Committee will shift from Plan development to Plan implementation. This includes inviting people to join the Committee. Those interested in joining may apply online to the Implementation Committee.
This meeting was the first meeting after Council approved the Community Safety and Well-Being Plan on March 18.
View the meeting minutes for more details.
Agenda and minutes
View the Crime Prevention and Community Well-Being Advisory Committee meeting agenda and minutes:
Past meeting documents
View the meeting documents from 2024.
View the meeting documents from 2023.
Crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED)
View the video presentation on Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) by Steve Woolrich. He is an expert CPTED practitioner who delivered the presentation to the Crime Prevention and Community Well-Being Advisory Committee in February 2024. Steve was in Kenora for a 3-month residency project to evaluate the community and identify opportunities for enhancing safety and reducing crime. The presentation was a valuable resource in developing the Community Safety and Well-Being Plan.
Stop Now And Plan (SNAP) presentation
View the Stop Now And Plan (SNAP) presentation by Tina Dall Bianco and Abdi Mohamud. SNAP is an evidence-based program for children struggling with behaviour issues that aims to keep them in school and out of trouble by helping them make better choices "in the moment." Tina Dal Bianco, Community Facilitator Pre-Implementation Specialist, has worked for CDI for over 15 years and has contributed in various roles, from SNAP Child and Family Worker to Senior Community Facilitator Trainer/Consultant with the CDI Implementation Team. Abdi Mohamud, has been a mentor, advocate, and community builder championing SNAP Youth Leadership Services since 2006.
Mâmawêyatitân Centre, City of Regina, presentation
View the City of Region presentation by Dave Slater, Manager of Community Well-Being for the City of Regina, and Brian Lewis, Executive Director of the Growing Young Movers program. They shared their experience with the innovative programming at the Mâmawêyatitân Centre (pronounced “ma-ma-waya-ta-tan”), which is the first of its kind in Canada, located in the North End Community of Regina, at the Committee's December 2024 meeting.
Who we are
The Crime Prevention and Community Well-Being Advisory Committee is made up of community members and agency representatives appointed by Council, lead by the City's Community Safety and Well-Being Coordinator. Meet the current members: Darcia Curtis, chair |
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Her academic journey reflects a commitment to understanding societal dynamics, holding a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with a focus on Deviance and Social Control from The University of Calgary, a Bachelor of Education from Queens University, and a Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership from Adler University. Darcia's commitment to community engagement goes beyond her professional and academic pursuits. She actively volunteers and contributes as the Chair of the Executive Committee for Triple PLAY, a member of the Kenora Rotary Club, a passionate volunteer ski instructor, and as Vice President on the board of the Kenora and Lake of the Woods Regional Community Foundation. Her proactive engagement reflects a dedication to improving societal well-being. When she's not immersed in her impactful work, Darcia cherishes moments outdoors and at her cottage on Lake of the Woods, creating cherished memories with loved ones. She finds solace in her passions for reading, podcasts, quilting, interior design, and exploring new destinations through her travels.
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Denise Forsyth, vice chair |
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Anita Cameron |
 After living and raising her three sons in Keewatin for more than 30 years, Anita Cameron has developed a strong interest in healthy communities and community wellbeing. Having retired from being Executive Director for Waasegiizhig Nanaandawe’iyewigamig (WNHAC) and serving on numerous boards and committees for almost 25 years, she is looking forward to new opportunities to make a difference in a good way. |
Shannon Bailey |
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My goal in being a part of the creation of a community safety and well-being plan is to ensure that youth can be a part of a community where they feel safety and belonging, that supports career pathways and wellness as well as gives an opportunity for their voices to be heard. It is important that we consider how to engage voices that do not sit at the table and that we think about the future we all want to cultivate in Kenora. |
Regan Dearborn |
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She is the Ontario Association of Social Workers Local Engagement Ambassador and works to support NWO having a voice as well as connecting Social Workers within her network. Recently Regan has transitioned to owning a private practice, specializing in trauma therapy and is focusing on building her business to bring the gaps in Northwestern Ontario for psychotherapy services. She is working with a variety of organizations, services and communities to explore this and expanding her team across the province. She is also learning the lens of the business community. She is passionate about supporting in building capacity/safety in our community and advocating for all voices. She is excited to join this group of knowledgeable individuals in the development of the community safety plan and is mostly looking forward to hearing from and engaging with community members and organizations outside of the committee. She believes there is enough work for all to go around and when experienced minds come together, work together and share wisdom, we can make large impacts. She loves this community and hopes to help cultivate safety within it! In her spare time, she enjoys learning, travelling, spending time with loved ones, life on Winnipeg River, and everything in the outdoors in Sunset Country. |
Jeff Duggan |
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Jill Hager |
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It is no secret that Kenora is currently facing many challenges and I am excited for the opportunity to help move our community in a positive direction. |
Logan Haney |
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Jodelle Maksymchuk |
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Jodelle holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and a Master of Arts degree in Counselling Psychology. She is a Registered Psychotherapist and Clinical Manager of Child and Youth Mental Health services at FIREFLY. Jodelle is a passionate advocate for family-based healing, collaborative problem-solving, and innovative system change. She looks forward to bringing her clinical perspective and hands-on experience to the important work of this committee. |
Taras Manzie |
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Mr. Manzie has resided in Kenora for the past 21 years and has significant ties to the community as a business owner, employer, resident and community member. Immediately following his move to Kenora, Taras was employed for five years as a commercial manager with Copperfin Credit Union – this role was instrumental in creating long lasting personal relationships within Kenora. He started his career in entrepreneurship while studying Commerce at Carleton University in Ottawa, and has been a driven business builder ever since. More importantly, Taras is engaged and focused on our local community; the safety and well being behind it and for all its peoples. |
Haley Pentek |
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I have lived in the city of Kenora since I was 4 years old and now raise my two children here, which allows me a unique perspective into the current, past and present safety concerns within our community. I am extremely passionate about the activities available to our youth as I grew up spending a majority of my time on the ice, figuring skating with the Kenora Skating Academy. Ensuring my kids and their friends have those same opportunities is very important to me. Our youth cannot continue to flourish without a safe space to do so and I think this committee is a positive start in addressing the concerns of many in city we all call home. |
Councillor Robert Bernie |
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Councillor Bernie received the OPP Accolade Award as Officer of the Year in 2011 for his role in adopting the Mobilization and Engagement Model of Community Policing into the community. He was born in Fort Frances and later moved to Rainy River and went to high school there. His father worked on the pipeline in Kenora and the surrounding area. When he was young, our family would spend the summer months staying in tourist camps to be with him. Kenora was always the most vibrant and exciting community, and he'll always have fond memories of those days. Councillor Bernier returned to Kenora in 1985 to work at the Kenora Jail and made it his home. He became a police officer in 2000 when the Kenora Police Service (KPS) hired him. He worked extensively with the public and served as the Community Services Officer with the KPS. The Kenora Police Service amalgamated with the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) in 2009, and he worked as the Community Mobilization Officer (CMO) from 2010 until he retired from full-time policing in 2020. Until recently, he worked on a casual, part-time policing contract with the OPP post-retirement. He had the unique opportunity as CMO working with community partners on a wide range of projects, including the Kenora Community Safety and Well-Being Plan, the Kenora Substance Abuse and Mental Health Task Force, the Kenora Anti-Human Trafficking Coalition, Drug Treatment Court, and the RISK Table (situation table), as well as many other important initiatives. He believes this work has been informative and will enable him to work effectively as a member of council. Councillor Bernie's wife, Tracey, is from Kenora and has worked as an English teacher for the Kenora Catholic School Board her entire career. They have two children, Emily and Jack. Emily is a speech pathologist at the Thunder Bay Health Sciences Centre and resides in Thunder Bay. Jack is attending school and pursuing an education degree in Kelowna, BC. He is also playing collegiate hockey there. He says Kenora has been very good to him and his family. He considers it "the jewel of lake of the woods". He is committed to helping this community achieve its full potential. |
Councillor Barbara Manson |
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Councillor Barb Manson retired from the City of Kenora in 2015 after 30 years of service, having worked in various departments. Barb was born in Keewatin in 1955, married a Norman boy (Chuck) in 1990 and raised two sons, Dylan and Colt, in Kenora. Barb has coached in many activities, including hockey, ringette, baseball and gymnastics. Barb doesn't like to call herself an artist but enjoys painting. She is an avid book reader and trail walker. She teaches yoga and aerobics at 3 Woods Dive in her spare time and is the building's Social Convener. Every spare moment she loves to spend time at their camp on the Winnipeg River, paddle boarding, kayaking, reading, writing, swimming and fishing. She loves to travel, having gone home to her ancestral native land Sweden twice, as well as many hot holidays. Her biggest joy is hanging out with her husband and three grandbabies (not so little now), Marshall, Jett and Ayla.
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Christiane Sadeler, Consultant |
| Christiane trained as a Community Psychologist, led the Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council for over 25 years and was the founding co-chair of a national crime prevention network. Specializing in Crime Prevention through Social and Community Development, she helps communities have difficult conversations. Her processes and techniques are applicable to many social issues and focus on developing consensus, valuing diversity, and building understanding. Christiane is passionate about prevention and believes that micro changes to the status quo don't make for better solutions to complex social issues. Christiane has been involved in the development of many community safety and well-being plans. She has also worked with diverse populations such as persons with mental health and addiction challenges, children that have experienced abuse and neglect, women that came from violent relationships, offenders, teen parents, seniors, among others. Here is want she says about herself: I was born and raised in Germany just across from France. After high school I lived in England and New Zealand for ten years before making Canada my home in 1989, 30 years of that I spent in Ontario before moving to British Columbia in 2020. Wherever I have lived I found that people desire more or less the same things. They want their basic needs met and they want to love and be loved. Whenever that doesn’t happen ill consequences follow, may they be in health or justice or often both. Working with victims of assault and persons stigmatized due to mental health and problematic substance use made me passionate about prevention. So, in 1995 I was thrilled to be hired to lead a large coalition for crime prevention by Regional government. For 25 years I had the chance to work with many sectors and with many communities across the country. Truly, time flew by. I learned so much and I am still learning. Now that I am sort of retired, I have my own consulting gig because, well, my passion for community has not retired. No matter where I work, I take my responsibility to facilitate a good process very seriously. The outcomes are up to all of us. When I don’t work, I camp or hike with my partner of 30 years and my golden doodle both of whom keep me sane in an increasingly challenging world. But I am hopelessly hopeful that we can turn this ship around if we put our collective minds to it. |
Darcia brings over 18 years of dedicated experience in non-profit management, currently serving as the Director of Service Excellence and Partnerships at FIREFLY. Her career trajectory includes pivotal roles like Director of the Transitional Aged Youth Program and Assistant Director of the Intensive Support Residences Program at the Kenora Association for Community Living. 
Denise has made Kenora her home for the past 36 years. It is a place she chose to work, play, and raise her family. Throughout her career she has worked with individuals across the lifespan. This work she has found meaningful and humbling. Her formal education was at Memorial University in Newfoundland and her graduate studies (prior to internet) was at the University of Manitoba where she obtained a Master Degree in Social Work - social policy and administration stream. Her most impactful learning has come from the voice of lived experience and the importance listening and learning as people tell their story.
My father was born and raised in Kenora and we moved as a family from Winnipeg when I was 14. Having lived and worked in the community since, I am a proud Kenora resident. I have been an educator with the Keewatin Patricia District School Board for 26 years, and have been in the role of Superintendent of Education since 2019. My portfolios include Elementary Curriculum, Indigenous Education, Leadership, Early Years and Literacy. I am passionate about student achievement and working hard to remove barriers for all students to access a quality education. 
Regan Dearborn has been in the field of Social Work for over 20 years in various sectors of the field working with individuals across the lifespan. She is Kenora born and raised and most of her family and friends reside here. She has been on various boards and committees, both locally and provincially and does volunteer work where and when she can. 
My name is Jeff Duggan and I am the Kenora OPP Detachment Commander responsible for all policing services for the City of Kenora and surrounding communities. I have been the Detachment Commander since 2018 and have spent my entire policing career in the Northwest working a variety of fields. I am born and raised in Kenora and am raising my family here which includes a wife, three kids and 2 dogs. I am excited to be part of the CPCWB Committee as I have had an opportunity to develop our last Community Safety and well being plan. I am invested in public safety and well being and it is personal as I live work and play in the City of Kenora.
I am the Assistant Area Manager Community Correctional Services Kenora-Rainy River. Kenora is my hometown and I have chosen to return and raise my own family here. I have worked with vulnerable populations through my employment within the criminal justice system.
Logan Haney was born and raised in Kenora, and has lived in two other cities while pursuing education. She returned seven years ago to continue to work in her hometown. While her family ties run deep in Kenora, Logan’s connection to community through volunteerism and her dedication to working with integrity- two things she truly values and brings to the table- has allowed her to carve out a place for herself. Logan has a background in Justice, Mental Health, and Crisis Services, as well as fostering her connection to the business community. Logan sits on various boards and committees, their purposes ranging from Healthcare, Community Safety, and Indigenous Governance, and includes various subcommittees contributing to community well-being.
Over the past fourteen years, Jodelle Maksymchuk has dedicated her career to directly supporting children, youth, and families in our community through her work in the fields of child welfare and children’s mental health.
Taras Manzie; Founder, President/CEO, Director Lake of the Woods Brewing Company:
Hello, my name is Haley Pentek and I currently work as an Interprofessional Team Manager for Waasegiizhig Nanaandawe’Iyewigamig with a background of previous employment in the social services sector.
Councillor Bernie has lived in Kenora for over 38 years. He came to Kenora in 1984 to work at the Kenora Jail, later joining the Kenora Police Service in 2000, and patched over to the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) in 2009, when the two police forces amalgamated.- Alternates for Jeff Duggan: Jim Neild and Grant Cowles
- Alternative for Councillor Bernie: Councillor Barbara Manson
- Eric Shih, City of Kenora Community Safety and Well-Being Coordinator
Terms of reference
View the Crime Prevention and Community Well-Being Advisory Committee Terms of Reference.
Accessible formats
If you require an accessible format of a document or report, please contact the City Clerk. We will provide you with this within two business days of your request.
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