2014 Recipients

Media

Justice Minister Lena Diab presents C100 Breakfast Club hosts, Brad Dryden, Moya Farrell and Peter Harrison with the media award.

The C100 FM Radio Pledge to End Bullying is an example of how partnerships between schools, parents and the media can raise awareness about the seriousness of bullying. This program inspires young children to have a voice and believe that they do have the power to end bullying. Students in classrooms throughout the Halifax Regional School Board continue to take the Pledge to End Bullying and the inspirational message, "don't be silent", is broadcasted weekly to listeners of all ages.

Youth

Justice Minister Lena Diab presents Callie Lathem with the youth award.

Callie Lathem is an advocate for sexual violence prevention, social justice and equity and she represents Nova Scotia youth at a national and international level through her work with the Student Union at Acadia University. She works to raise awareness among university students about violence in relationships, the dangers related to high-risk drinking, the definition of consent in sexual relationships and empowering her peers to recognize and challenge sexism, racism and homophobia.

Justice Minister Lena Diab presents members of the Lunenburg County Youth Advisory Committee with the youth award.

The Lunenburg County Youth Advisory Committee is a group of 31 young community leaders paving the way for their peers to be actively involved in crime prevention. Youth teaching youth, this group of young people enthusiastically tackle tough issues like drug and alcohol abuse, sexual harassment, sexual assault and cyberbullying .They create and record public service announcements that are aired on local radio stations, film videos that are presented in schools throughout Lunenburg County and work with community groups and police officers to promote crime prevention in ways that are relevant to youth.

Business

Justice Minister Lena Diab presents Teens Now Talk (TNT) Founder and Publisher, Jessica Bowden with the business award.

Teens Now Talk (TNT) Magazine is dynamic publication written by teens for teens. Over the past seven years the magazine has fostered opportunities for young people to share real issues that are often linked to crime prevention and provide information to youth on how to access support. The magazine is innovative in its approach to building youth readership while working with youth writers to educate and inspire their peers to take action in relation to crime prevention.

Community

Justice Minister Lena Diab presents Reverend Kirby Spivey, Save Our Sons Save Our Sisters Rites of Passage Mentorship Program with the community award.

Save Our Sons, Save Our Sisters, Rites of Passage Mentorship Program was created in 2012 by four pastors from the African Nova Scotia community who joined together to create and deliver a faith-based mentorship program for at-risk youth. Over the past two years the program has mentored more than 100 youth between the ages 11 and 17, in partnership with the RCMP, the Department of Education and other community partners, to help change a generation of African Nova Scotian youth through crime prevention strategies that foster positive healthy young citizens.

Justice Minister Lena Diab presents Donald Landry, Cole Harbour and Eastern Passage, Citizens on Patrol with the community award.

Cole Harbour & Eastern Passage Citizens on Patrol is a volunteer-based group that is committed to supporting police agencies with all aspects of public safety. The volunteers work together to patrol trouble spots in their community and report suspicious activities to police. They also raise funds to purchase equipment for their community in an effort to reduce crime such as radar reader boards which helps slow traffic.

Justice Minister Lena Diab & Community Services Minister, Joanne Bernard present Dolly Mosher, Board Chairperson, Silent Witness Nova Scotia with the community award.

Silent Witness Nova Scotia travels throughout Nova Scotia displaying life-size wooden silhouettes representing women who lost their lives from intimate partner violence. This raises awareness about violence against women, warning signs, safety planning and how individuals can support someone they care about who is in an abusive relationship. Celebrating its tenth year of dedicated volunteerism, Silent Witness has given a voice to victims and has helped end the silence around domestic homicides in Nova Scotia.

Police

Justice Minister Lena Diab presents Constable Deepak Prasad, R.C.M.P., Inverness County, with the policing award.

Constable Deepak Prasad, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, is a patrol and community police officer and a volunteer citizen in Inverness County. Constable Prasad is involved in a wide variety of crime prevention initiatives that engage youth, seniors, fellow citizens and local businesses. One example of Constable Prasad's creative approach to crime prevention is the Port Hawkesbury Cinema. The cinema provides a safe weekend entertainment option for youth and adults while creating a volunteer opportunity for high school students. It is also an opportunity to educate movie goers about relevant issues in the community, such as domestic violence, drug and alcohol abuse and impaired driving, to name a few.

Justice Minister Lena Diab presents Sergeant Tomas Ripley, Cape Breton Regional Police Service with the policing award.

Sergeant Thomas Ripley, Cape Breton Regional Police Service has been instrumental in establishing community police offices throughout Cape Breton Regional Municipality, successfully transforming neighborhoods by providing every day support focusing on at-risk youth. Sergeant Ripley is also the Executive Director for the Association of Safer Cape Breton Communities where he collaborates on a daily basis with government agencies, education, and municipal services to put into practice the principals of crime prevention through environmental design, resulting in healthier and safer neighborhoods.

Individual

Justice Minister Lena Diab presents Sobaz Benjamin with the individual award.

Sobaz Benjamin is a nationally recognized Nova Scotia filmmaker and artist whose energy and passion is the driving force behind his work with at-risk youth and young offenders. The creative outlet he provides to these young people through the In My Own Voice (iMOVe) Project is the inspiration many of them need to engage in a healthy social activity. Mr. Benjamin's projects bring youth correctional facilities, police agencies, government departments, schools, community groups, businesses and youth together through media and film production to empower young people to make safer and healthier lifestyle choices.