This is the third in a series of columns previewing the presenters at the Imagine – Learn/Inspire/Act Conference being held on Saturday, May 6, at the Almonte Civitan Hall. The What Now Lanark County Committee is pleased to share the biographies of two more speakers, Pamela Cross and Kirsten Mercer. The title of their talk will be Learning From the Coroner’s Inquest: Where are we now and where should we be headed.
Last year’s inquest into the Renfrew County triple femicide of Carol Culleton, Anastasia Kuzyk and Nathalie Warmerdam led to 86 recommendations for systemic change and engaged the attention of the public across the province. This conversation between two lawyers who were expert witnesses at that inquest will explore what community-based activism has already led to and what steps we can take next to make our communities safe for women and children.
Biographies
Pamela Cross is a feminist lawyer and a well-known and respected expert on violence against women and the law with her work as a researcher, writer, educator and trainer. She works with women’s equality and violence against women organizations across Ontario. Not only was she an expert witness at the Renfrew County inquest, she also participated in the Nova Scotia Mass Casualty Inquiry as an expert witness on intimate partner violence. Pamela has also been a member of the teaching faculty with the National Judicial Institute and, in 2012, she developed a violence against women curriculum for law schools in a project with the Law Commission of Ontario. She has received many awards including the 2020 J.A. Corry Distinguished Alumni Award from Queen’s Law. Pamela’s paper “Forty-four percent: A short history of intimate partner violence” was published in 2022 for the inquest proceedings. It can be read at lukesplace.ca.
Kirsten Mercer is the lawyer who represented End Violence Against Women Renfrew County as a party to the inquest. Earlier in her career she left private practice for a period of time to focus on legal and public policy challenges, serving as Senior Advisor to the Premier of Ontario and Chief of Staff to the Attorney General of Canada. She was then appointed to the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal where she served as a full-time member, mediating, case-managing and adjudicating complaints. Kirsten was the chief architect of the Ontario Sexual Violence and Harassment Action Plan and has been integrally involved in legislative and policy reform behind the scenes at the highest levels of government. She is a leading advocate for women and those who have experienced gendered violence and harassment in the workplace or beyond. Always calm and creative in a crisis, Kirsten is great at unpacking an issue, understanding what each client needs and crafting a successful resolution.
What Now Lanark County is fortunate to have these accomplished professionals taking part in the conference. With their knowledge and passion, Learning From the Coroner’s Inquest is sure to be a dynamic presentation. Conference tickets will be $40 (includes lunch and snacks) and will be available early in April. For more information contact whatnowlanarkcounty@gmail.com.
Fern Martin
