We help communities meet and work together

Victoria

Date:

April 29, 2026

Time:

10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Location:

Saint John Ambulance office
3214 Douglas St, #205

Our Mission:

To create a network among organizations who support CAF veterans, Emergency Responders and their families in meeting the array of challenges, such as: transition, mental health, and housing instability, by promoting collaboration that improves the delivery of services.

Who is Invited to Attend:

We hope to see all Military Units, Police Services, EMS, Fire and Rescue, Medical and support First Responders, Peer Support groups, Spiritual support providers, local and municipal leaders, CMHA, Veterans Support agencies, EAP providers, VAC, Legion Branch Service Officers, psychologists, social workers, and anyone else interested and supporting those who suffer from PTSD and Operational Stress injuries.

The networking is very beneficial to all who attend!

Presenters

Renae Stevenson MA PATGC CMT-P RCC
Mindfulness Consulting, Coaching & Counselling
Medicine Assisted Therapy Preparation & Integration
UCSD Certified Mindfulness Teacher

Renae is a registered clinical counsellor, UCSD certified mindfulness teacher, and a psychedelic therapist serving frontline health, first responders and veterans walking paths back to wholeness.

She is a daughter, mother, and g-ma humbled to live on the unceded lands of the Malahat Peoples. Her journey with PTSD and a spinal injury led her from a 20+ year police career, back to her mixed blood ancestral roots, and now serving in a very different way.

Rick Ruppenthal

Rethinking Change: Field Observations from Restorative Justice Conversations

This session shares field observations from coaching conversations within a restorative justice setting, highlighting subtle but meaningful shifts in engagement, emotional regulation, and personal insight—often without structured intervention or traditional techniques.

Rather than presenting a formal program model, this session explores what appears to be driving change beneath the surface, offering a perspective that may complement existing services without adding complexity or cost. (length 15-20 minutes)

Rick Ruppenthal is a former paramedic leader turned transformative coach who works at the intersection of mental health, leadership, and human performance. After more than two decades in high-stress emergency environments, he began questioning many of the assumptions behind traditional approaches to stress, trauma, and behaviour change.

His work now focuses on a principles-based understanding of how experience is created from the inside out—revealing that beneath even the most complex challenges, people are not broken. Rick brings a grounded, real-world perspective that invites fresh thinking about what truly creates change.

Tony Nicholas, Veterans Outreach Specialist, Helmets to Hardhats

Helmets to Hardhats (H2H) is a national not-for-profit organization that helps Canada’s military community transition into meaningful second careers while strengthening the unionized construction and related industries.

H2H Advisors work with candidates to identify career and training opportunities that align with their military skills and experience, including crediting prior learning where applicable.

Help Us Connect Our Veteran Community Organizations

Respect Canada is seeking a dedicated Volunteer Facilitator in Victoria to help lead and support our local veteran community organizations.

Email Drew Burgwin to Apply

Our Mission: To create a network among organizations who support CAF veterans, Emergency Responders and their families in meeting the array of challenges, such as: transition, mental health, and housing instability, by promoting collaboration that improves the delivery of services.

Terms of Reference for a Lead Facilitator

As a Not For Profit organization funded by Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC), RespectCanada Forums bring together people from health and social services, all levels of government, universities, community organizations, and peer support organizations. Participants have the opportunity to talk about their organizations, the services they provide, the challenges they face, and their research and community engagement activities — paving the way to explore possibilities for collaboration. By-invitation-only Respect Forums are held semi-annually , financially enabled by Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) in locations across Canada, from Victoria BC to Saint John’s NL; they can be viewed at Local Meetings – Respect Canada. In addition, we maintain an online directory of organizations dedicated to improve mental health and quality of life of veterans and emergency workers as well as their loved ones at respectmap.ca.

Our Mission is to create a network among organizations that support CAF & RCMP veterans, Emergency Responders, and their families in overcoming challenges such as transition, mental health, and housing instability by promoting collaboration that improves service delivery.

Position Overview

The Respect Canada Ontario Region is seeking an energetic individual to act as Lead Facilitator for two forums in the Barrie/Orillia area per year working with the Ontario Region Coordinator (scroll to bio at Leadership – Respect Canada), each approximately three hours in duration. The Respect Forum provides a unique opportunity to learn about services available to retired uniformed personnel within the community, featuring networking, knowledge sharing, and group discussions.

Responsibilities

Lead the planning, coordination, promoting, facilitating of two Respect Forums annually.

Engage participants in discussions related to the well-being of uniformed personnel and their families.
Coordinate with local organizations to ensure a diverse range of insights and resources are shared.
Promote collaboration that enhances the delivery of services addressing transition out of service, mental health, addiction and housing instability.
Lead and provide feedback and reports on Forum outcomes and participant engagement.

Qualifications

Experience serving in the military, RCMP, OPP, CSC, CCG, or emergency services (police, fire, EMS) or interacting with such individuals through support services is preferred.
Strong leadership and facilitation skills.
Excellent communication and networking abilities.
Passion for supporting Veterans and their families.
Motivated and proactive approach to community engagement.

Compensation

Expenses covered for each forum delivered.
Stipend paid for each forum facilitated, VAC funding permitting.

Application Process

Interested parties should contact Drew Burgwin via email at respect.westerncoord@gmail.com to express one’s interest and provide details of their relevant experience, or visit our website at respectcanada.org for more information.