CONFERENCE INFORMATION

COYO 2026 February 18-20, 2026 Registration Now Open!

Conference Information

2026 Registration Open!

2026 Registration Fees:

Full Conference: $460 (HST included)

Student Full Conference $200 (HST included - must show valid student ID and be 19+ as alcohol is served)

Payment options: credit card or cheques are accepted. Payment details are available when you register. You do not need a paypal account to pay via credit card.

Included in registration fee:

Wednesday, February 18th - Wine and Cheese

Thursday, February 19th - Light Breakfast, Buffet Lunch, Networking Reception (drinks and snacks provided)

Friday, February 20th - Full Buffet Breakfast, Refreshments and Snacks

Cancellation Policy

The COYO Conference does not provide refunds. However, if you are unable to attend, you may transfer your registration to another individual. All transfer requests must be made to Elisabeth.Aschwanden@southsimcoepolice.ca no later than one week prior to the conference date.

A 50-50 DRAW WILL BE HELD - CASH ONLY!

2026 Keynotes

kevin smith - the hero mindset

sharif mahdy & Youth Panel - Hearing Unheard Moments: Addressing Grievance-Based Violence

In a profession built on serving others, it’s easy to forget that strength begins with self-awareness. In this interactive session, Paralympian and resilience expert Kevin Rempel help first responders, youth and care providers recognize that caring for yourself is essential to caring for others.

Through real stories and hands-on reflection, Kevin shares practical tools to manage stress, set boundaries and build habits that protect your mental and emotional health. This session will help you pause, recharge, and find the balance needed to stay strong enough to serve, at work, at home and in life.

sharif mahdy & Youth Panel - Hearing Unheard Moments: Addressing Grievance-Based Violence

HUM: Hearing Unheard Moments initiative, is based on the Students Commission of Canada’s 4 Pillars: Respect, Listen, Understand, Communicate™, and a core truth: when young people feel unheard, the results can be dangerous — not just for them, but for all of us.

This inter-generational plenary panel presentation will showcase youth and adult perspectives on grievance-based violence and how young people and adults can work together to prevent and address grievance-based violence. This panel will also share best practices on engaging youth in difficult discussions and the role of adult allies at supporting youth to engage and work through grievances.

lisa chang -

sharif mahdy & Youth Panel - Hearing Unheard Moments: Addressing Grievance-Based Violence

lisa chang -

In this empowering keynote, Lisa Chang explores how parents, educators, and community members can raise safe and resilient kids in the face of social media and the digital age. With warmth and real-world insight, she reveals the hidden online pressures shaping children’s mental health and identity, while offering practical tools to foster digital resilience, critical thinking, and mindful tech habits. Lisa emphasizes the importance of present parenting and community connection - reminding audiences that safety begins with awareness, empathy, and example. Attendees will leave inspired to guide the next generation to thrive both online and offline.

2026 Workshops

Addressing Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in First Responders - Dr. Mark Petter

This workshop aims to discuss the unique risks associated with the development of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and related psychological challenges faced by first responders. The facilitator will examine the symptoms commonly linked to traumatic stress within this population and discuss factors contributing to the development and exacerbation of these symptoms.

Participants will gain insights into the assessment and treatment processes tailored for individuals experiencing work-related traumatic stress. Additionally, the workshop will provide attendees with resources for further exploration of these topics, equipping them with the knowledge needed to support their mental health and well-being.

Arts-Based Methods for Building Mindfulness and Well-Being: Strengths-Based Approach – Diana Coholic

Arts-based methods are highly engaging and enjoyable, and developmentally relevant and effective. These methods are simple hands-on activities we use to enable expression, discussion, understanding, and growth (they are not about how well someone can do art or create).

In this 1-hour presentation, participants will learn about a variety of arts-based mindfulness activities to help young people explore and express feelings and thoughts, learn emotion regulation, and build resilience including improved coping, mood, and relationships. In group work with young people, these methods help to build group cohesion, mutual aid, and a sense of belonging.

Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in a few arts-based activities during the presentation. Also, we have lots of resources to share. You can find our Toolkits for Parents/Guardians, Mental Health Workers, and Teachers on this research website: www.dianacoholic.com.

Critical Incident Debrief - Enhancing Collaboration during Crisis – Heather Olliff & Jenn Ottewell

This session introduces Bluewater District School Board’s Critical Incident Debrief framework, a powerful tool designed to promote resilience, safety, and emotional wellbeing in the aftermath of high-impact events. Built within the board’s existing tragedy response protocol, the model provides a structured approach to recovery that fosters stability and supports impacted individuals. Participants will gain insight into how this framework is being implemented across schools and how it strengthens the essential partnership between police, educators, and community supports in building safer, more resilient school communities.

Emerging Online Threats Targeting Youth - D/C Allan Stevenson & D/c Dom Papiorek

This workshop provides a recap of a recent “764” swatting investigation, examining how a seemingly false emergency call revealed a broader pattern of youth grooming, online victimization, and coordinated digital harassment. Participants will be taken through the investigative steps used to identify threat origins, support victims, and advance the larger multi-jurisdictional response to “764” activity. The session highlights cooperation with the FBI, Halton Regional Police and the RCMP, offering insights into group motivations, behavioural patterns and investigative techniques to assist officers facing similar incidents. A practical look at emerging online threats targeting youth—and how to meaningfully disrupt them.

Hearing Unheard Moments – Sharif Mahdy and Youth

HUM: Hearing Unheard Moments initiative, is based on SCC's 4 Pillars: Respect, Listen, Understand, Communicate™, and a core truth: when young people feel unheard, the results can be dangerous — not just for them, but for all of us.

You are invited to join a workshop that will share activities on how to interrupt polarizing, anger-fuelled cultures and echo-chambers and to learn about how to disrupt those conversations through a menu of activities that promote hearing and listening to youth.

Our shared goal is to provide healthier, safer spaces off-line and on-line for all children and youth to grow and thrive; spaces to be heard, explore differences and still belong, spaces to talk, process, and act on challenges they face, spaces to voice grievances and concerns and prevent them from turning into hate and violence.

OSAID: The best kept student leadership & safe schools building secret in Ontario – Matt Evans

Since 1987, Ontario Students Against Impaired Driving (OSAID) has combined student leadership and safe schools in Ontario. This workshop will guide participants through the history, current initiatives, and future ambitions of the OSAID program. It emphasizes how police service officers, community service officers, and community partners can work together to support OSAID's mission of empowering students through awareness, peer engagement, and education. Everyone can help create safer roads by supporting OSAID in continuing to develop student leadership on the issue of impaired driving in Ontario schools.

Navigating a child with a difficult diagnosis – Laurie McCann

As a mother navigating her child with a tough diagnosis, the session will hear her story through her mothers’ eyes.

How as a family they navigated through her diagnosis, COVID, school, etc. The struggles as a family, what steps were taken to help her, the ups and downs and more importantly how to stay resilient through all of this.

For Laurie, running plays a huge part in her resiliency.

Missing and Murdered Indigenous women and girls 2S+ folx - Fallon Farinacci

A proud Red River Métis, Fallon is a Speaker, Survivor, & Advocate for MMIWG (Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls). In this workshop session, you will hear how Fallon has cultivated an incredible community and uses her online platform to share her story, give back to the Indigenous community, and raise awareness for causes and organizations close to her heart. Attendees will leave with a better understanding not only of Fallon's story of both trauma and resilience, but also an awareness of the ongoing Genocide of Indigenous women, girls, 2S+, and folx face across Turtle Island. Note: while this workshop will cover Fallon's resiliency and the importance of community and connection to culture, it does come with a trigger warning, as she will cover topics such as murder, violence, and suicide.

COYO 2026 February 18-20, 2026 Registration Now Open!

Conference Information

2026 accommodation

2026 Keynotes

kevin smith - the hero mindset

sharif mahdy & Youth Panel - Hearing Unheard Moments: Addressing Grievance-Based Violence

sharif mahdy & Youth Panel - Hearing Unheard Moments: Addressing Grievance-Based Violence

sharif mahdy & Youth Panel - Hearing Unheard Moments: Addressing Grievance-Based Violence

sharif mahdy & Youth Panel - Hearing Unheard Moments: Addressing Grievance-Based Violence

sharif mahdy & Youth Panel - Hearing Unheard Moments: Addressing Grievance-Based Violence

lisa chang -

sharif mahdy & Youth Panel - Hearing Unheard Moments: Addressing Grievance-Based Violence

lisa chang -

2026 Workshops

Addressing Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in First Responders - Dr. Mark Petter

Arts-Based Methods for Building Mindfulness and Well-Being: Strengths-Based Approach – Diana Coholic

Critical Incident Debrief - Enhancing Collaboration during Crisis – Heather Olliff & Jenn Ottewell

Emerging Online Threats Targeting Youth - D/C Allan Stevenson & D/c Dom Papiorek

Hearing Unheard Moments – Sharif Mahdy and Youth

OSAID: The best kept student leadership & safe schools building secret in Ontario – Matt Evans

Navigating a child with a difficult diagnosis – Laurie McCann

Missing and Murdered Indigenous women and girls 2S+ folx - Fallon Farinacci