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Committee of Youth Officers of Ontario

Please join us February 22-24, 2023 for the 2023 COYO Conference

Please join us February 22-24, 2023 for the 2023 COYO Conference Please join us February 22-24, 2023 for the 2023 COYO Conference

Conference Information

2023 COYO Conference

Registration for 2023 Conference is now open. 

Register Now

2023 Registration Fees: 

Full Conference: $435 (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 22nd - Wine and Cheese

Thursday, February 23rd - Light Breakfast, Buffet Lunch, Networking Reception (drinks and snacks provided)

Friday, February 24th - Full Buffet Breakfast, Refreshments and Snacks


No Refunds Available

If you have any questions, please contact Kelly-Anne Dugas at kdugas@drps.ca

2023 accommodation

Sheraton on the Falls ( 5875 Falls Ave), Niagara Falls, ON L2G 3K7

City-view room: $129/night + applicable taxes (resort fee included)

Fallsview room: $149/night + applicable taxes (resort fee included)

Self Parking: $29/night

Hotel Reservations:  1-905-374-4445 (quote "COYO conference) or online 

Early bird rate ends February 1st, 2023 

2023 Keynotes

Jeff Martin - Reignite the why?

Trecia McLennon - Culturally responsive approaches to youth engagement

Trecia McLennon - Culturally responsive approaches to youth engagement

When we've been doing something for so long, sometimes we forget the importance of why we're doing it. We lose focus, motivation and even our purpose of why we even began in the first place. In the presentation, Jeff A.D. Martin is going to take you back to when that   fire was first lit inside of you and how you can reignite that flame to burn brighter than ever before. As a fellow officer, Jeff will share his own experience of how he too lost his flame, but how the reframing of his repurpose reignited him to make an impact that goes well beyond his policing borders and jurisdiction. With his career and life experiences, coupled with his benevolence and passion to inspire, Jeff A.D. Martin shares his gift of purpose in efforts to help others find their true potential. 

Trecia McLennon - Culturally responsive approaches to youth engagement

Trecia McLennon - Culturally responsive approaches to youth engagement

Trecia McLennon - Culturally responsive approaches to youth engagement

When engaging with youth, we are often encouraged to use common sense approaches. When mentoring youth, they are often encouraged to use their common sense as well. But what if common sense doesn’t really exist? What if it’s really cultural sense? Similarly, our systems encourage us to treat everyone the same and guard against differential treatment. We strive for equality. And what if treating people differently resulted in more positive outcomes for the most marginalized youth? This talk will examine the secret sauce that will make your equity, diversity and inclusion approaches go from trendy and ineffective, to transformational and meaningful with maximum effectiveness for the most marginalized youth.

Camillia Layne - Trends in online victimization

Camillia Layne - Trends in online victimization

Camillia Layne - Trends in online victimization

The Canadian Centre for Child Protection is a national charity dedicated to the protection of all children. The Canadian Centre operates Cybertip.ca, Canada’s tipline for the reporting of online child sexual exploitation. This presentation will explore the issue of online sexual violence and unwanted sexual actions and behaviours directed towards youth online, as seen through the lens of the Canadian Centre for Child Protection. Over the past year, Cybertip.ca has seen increasing online victimization and intensifying control tactics of offenders. This underscores the critical need to teach youth skills that help them navigate online situations safely and the information on where to go for help if someone is harming them online. The presentation will include discussion on how to the Canadian Centre supports youth and families and works to minimize the circulation of the image/videos. 

Orlando Bowen - One Voice, one team

Camillia Layne - Trends in online victimization

Camillia Layne - Trends in online victimization

Orlando Bowen is a keynote speaker focused on equipping people to get off the sidelines and become difference-makers on their teams and in the lives of those around them. He is a highly sought after speaker and trainer who works with corporations, small businesses and non-profits. When it comes to building teams, creating momentum and employing winning strategies, Orlando is the real deal. He is also passionate about youth leadership. As a result of that passion, he founded One Voice One Team Youth Leadership Organization to inspire and to teach resilience, leadership and teamwork to youth.


Empowering people to overcome adversity, find their passion and to use their gifts to serve is the reason Orlando breathes. This gift has placed Orlando on hundreds of stages, boardrooms and in presentations across North and South America and has garnered him numerous awards.

2023 Workshops

Childhood trauma on scene:A new approach to those tough teens – Dr. Michelle Ward

Abuse at home, parental loss, witnessing violence at a young age…these experiences change people, including how they respond to threatening situations and police. Ever wonder how these factors affect youth or how it changes their response to your authority? Having trouble getting through to those tough teens? The answer might be childhood trauma. This workshop will focus on understanding childhood trauma, its effects on youth and how it shows up at the scene. You will leave with new ways to connect and work with youth, using a trauma and violence informed approach.   

Culturally-responsive approaches to engagement with Black children, youth and families –Kevin Haynes

Kevin works in the Provincial System Support Program at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). He is the Provincial Network Lead for SAPACCY, a mental health and substance use service for Black youth in Ontario. In this capacity, he is responsible for leading the visioning, advancement and sustainment of the service throughout the province. Kevin is also a member of the Mental Health and Addictions Advisory Panel with the Toronto Police Services Board, and the Mobile Crisis Intervention Team (MCIT) Steering Committee with the Toronto Police Service. Through these roles, he is currently supporting numerous initiatives aimed at developing and evaluating mental health policy, training curriculum, and the implementation and evaluation of non-police responses to mental health emergencies in the community.

Intercultural and EDI Foundations – Trecia McLennon

Culturiousity helps clients make the most of culture and stay curious to positively sustain people, profit and planet. We use evidence-based approaches to co-create transformations that drive competitive advantage while nurturing inclusive and respectful work environments where people belong and thrive.

Leadership, managing diverse groups, and implementing change – Acting Deputy Chief Pauline Gray

Acting Deputy Gray has carriage of Specialized Operations Command. She is the Implementation lead of Missing and Missed, The Report of the Independent Civilian Review into Missing Person Investigations. She will share her experience on leadership and managing diverse groups through change.


She is a regular speaker at the Toronto Police College, Ontario Police College and the Canadian Police College focusing on such topics as Major Case Management, homicide investigation, surviving cross examination, critical thinking and fair and impartial policing. Pauline has also been a guest lecturer at the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, the University of Toronto, the University of Ontario and Humber College.

Nanda-Gikendan – Janis Todd & Carole Clake

This session is a true teaching of Canadian history including policies and legislation that striped Indigenous people of their land, culture and identity. In this interactive activity participants will join the journey through major events that changed the Canada we know today.  Until all Canadians know the truth there can be no reconciliation.

Social media: Current apps, safety tips and how to use these apps in law enforcement – Laurie Mccann

This workshop will touch on the most current apps being used by youth and how these apps work. We will discuss safety settings within these apps and how law enforcement personnel can utilize social media within their job roles.

Supporting 2S&LGBTQ+ Youth – Celeste Turner

Gain valuable insight and perspectives as to how to effectively engage with 2S&LGBTQ+ youth, including learning relevant history, increasing safety and inclusion, reducing harm, and building trust.

Working Together to Support Families and Victims of Online Sexual Violence - Camillia Layne

The Canadian Centre for Child Protection is a charitable organization dedicated to the personal safety of all children. The Centre’s goal is to reduce victimization by providing national programs and service to the Canadian public. Through the operation of Cybertip.ca – Canada’s tipline for reporting the online sexual exploitation of children – the Canadian Centre for Child Protection has an expertise and unique window into child sexual abuse and how technology has impacted victimization. This session will explore the scope of the issue, support services provided by the Canadian Centre and available online training and practical resources for front line service providers. Additionally, attendees will be provided with information regarding prevention and education resources that can be utilized day-to-day in their community to help prevent child victimization.  

Youth mental health in our schools: What are we seeing, what are we doing – Andrea Bozza

This workshop will focus on Youth mental health in the Education System. The Presenter will highlight the trends that school and clinical staff are witnessing with youth, both pre and post-pandemic. Presenter will focus on the tiered mental health approach and provide concrete strategies and examples of how we are supporting our students in the Education System, both individually and with our community partners. 


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