Lily Roy lived her values of community involvement every day. The PDCF Lily Roy Memorial Bursary, created in her memory by her loving (and equally community-minded) husband, Frank Roy, is awarded each year to a graduating student from each of St John Catholic High School and Perth and District Collegiate Institute who, through their community involvement, reflect Lily’s belief that pitching in and participating in community is the key to a good life.

Lily was born in Hanna, Alberta, on June 23, 1932. She met Frank in the summer of 1956 when they were both working in British Columbia. They married in 1957 and moved to Ontario, and while raising three young boys, Lily got involved in the Nursing Division of St. John Ambulance in 1964, and, in 1990, was invested as a Commander in the Order of St John. For 40 years, even after she was diagnosed with cancer and was undergoing treatment, Lily helped make others’ lives better through her volunteer work.

Lily taught CPR and First Aid to Girl Guides and Scouts, as well as healthcare workers and other adults in Stittsville, Burlington, and Carleton Place. After moving to Perth in 1990, Lily volunteered with Heart and Stroke, the Canadian Cancer Society, Rideau Lakes Home and Community Support Centre, EcoPerth, The Perth Public Library, and taught fitness classes at Perth Community Care, and Lanark Lodge. She instructed at Algonquin College and provided financial support for student awards. She grew connections and friendships with her active participation in skiing, canoeing, Scottish country dancing, and cycling with others. And, to take one sport to the extreme, Lily was a regular participant in Perth’s Annual Polar Bear Plunge, raising money for local organizations.

Lily’s commitment to community and her can-do spirit were infectious, and she was declared “Volunteer of the Year” in 2001 by the Safe Communities of Perth and District. When she received the award, Kara Symbolic, of North Lanark Community Health Centre (ConnectWell), honoured Lily beautifully, saying: “I consider Lily Roy to be a volunteer ambassador in our community. She leads us by example, by cajoling, by her sense of humour, and by her presence. In her volunteer life, she demonstrates care for both individual and community health, safety, fitness, environment, literacy…”

Lily died peacefully, at home, surrounded by family on April 14, 2005. As one family friend wrote to Frank, after Lily passed, “Her light will live on in all who knew her.”

Queer Connection Lanark, founded in 2014, has become a vital force for belonging in Perth and District.

In 2024, PDCF funded Queer Connection Lanark in partnership with Perth & District Union Public Library to hold the Lanark Speaks: Queer Speaker Series. This series featured five 2SLGBTQI+ community members talking about a range of topics including: drag, sports, gardening, comedy, business and identity. This January, QCL received a PDCF Community Grant to help promote the documentary Lanark County Voices … There’s a Place for Me Here. The film, made by QCL, features thirteen incredible members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, offering a glimpse of what their lives are like in Lanark County.

The documentary weaves their stories together into a vital archive of their insights, struggles and hopes for the future. You will hear how people have built a community; how, amidst many positive changes, the continued need for progress persists.

QCL hopes these and their other initiatives build belonging and create allies across the community. When community comes together, across diversity, we all thrive. Many thanks to QCL for their life-changing work. Follow QCL on Facebook to find out more about their work and upcoming events!

PDCF is proud to have been awarded a 2025 Rainbow Champion Award at this year’s Pride Parade.

From left to right: Elizabeth Snyder (QCL), Victoria Gibb-Carsley (PDCF Executive Director), Youssef Sawan (PDCF Board member), Steve Scott (Board member), Meredith Toivanen (admin assistant) and Terry Daly (Board member). Photo by Stephen Jones

Lanark County Community Justice (LCCJ) is a volunteer-driven organization, based in Perth but working throughout Lanark County to achieve more resilient communities that build relationships and respond to conflict, harm and wrongdoing with restorative practice and restorative justices.

For the past 24 years, the primary focus for LCCJ has been to provide court diversion services for youth and adults by means of Restorative Community Justice Forums. Individuals (or groups) accused of a crime, are recommended to the program by the court system.

A forum is a voluntary, confidential process that brings together victim(s), the accused, their respective support people, and community members, to have a structured conversation about what happened, who was affected, determine the crime’s impact on the community, and how to make things right. Trained volunteers facilitate the forums.

Restorative Justice has multiple positive impacts.

• It saves the community thousands of dollars in policing, legal and social services costs. (A recent research paper calculated that for every $1 spent on the program, $2.53 of community benefit were generated.)
• It helps the perpetrator take true accountability for the crime they have committed and allows them a to make restitution while staying out of the criminal justice system, reducing the likelihood of repeat offences, and building relationships
• It enables victims to have their voices heard and allows them to tell the perpetrator the true impact of the crime and to receive reparations such as: an apology, financial compensation, return/repair of what was taken/damaged.

With Community Grants, PDCF has provided ongoing support to LCCJ and particularly for the Restorative Families Programming and the Triple P Parenting of Teens Group Sessions. These sessions, offered both in-person and online, have been one of LCCJ’s most successful programs.

Many parents and caregivers struggle to navigate relationships with their teenage family members. In Triple P Parenting of Teens, participants learn new skills, tips and tricks on how to use restorative practice and communicate effectively with the teenagers in their lives:

• Build stronger relationships
• Negotiate boundaries and expectations
• Deal calmly with conflict
• Survive emotional rollercoasters
• Prepare for risky situations
• Equip teens to handle life’s problems

In addition to PDCF Community Grants, in 2023, LCCJ received funding from the Community Services Recovery Fund which was distributed by PDCF. With this grant LCCJ developed a 5-Year Strategic Plan and a 5-Year Business Plan. LCCJ reviewed all of their policies and procedures through the lenses of equity, diversity and inclusion, as well as mental health and safety. Now established, these plans and policies will guide LCCJ in meeting their mission.

For up-to-date information on LCCJ’s programming please visit their website at www.commjustice.org/programs