black experience Townhall

Durham Black Network presents our 2nd Black Experience Townhall in partnership with The Municipality of Clarington and The Clarington Public Library on Thursday, October 6, 2022, at 6:30pm Eastern at the New Castle Community Hall, 20 King Avenue West, Newcastle, ON L1B-1H7 focusing on the Justice System & Policing through Real-Life Stories; Experty Advice on navigating the system, advocacy, strategies with community dialogues on building relationships and moving forward because TOGETHER WE ARE STRONGER®. Security by EPS Security.    

"Her Disability exposed her to Racism. TV Show host Carion Fenn breaks her silence & lend her voice to Women & Persons with a Disability to help break down barriers as a community."

Hear her TRUTH of Anti-Black Racism at the Superior Court of Justice Oshawa. How RACE & DISABILITY are impacting Women, Black Women, Minority Women & Persons with a Disability. A BLACK WOMAN WITH A DISABILITY was not AFFORDED her legal right to Disability Accommodation under the Human Rights Code, AODA & Bill C-81 Accessible Canada Act with Reprisal.

Former Minister & Ajax MPP, Rod Phillips, Lawyer Valentine Lovekin, Councillor & Family Court Lawyer Deidre Newman has been a great support to Ms. Fenn and her child Eithan. Among Durham Black Network, Abilies Centre President & CEO Stuart McReynalds, Dr. Ian Horseman, Dr. Sal, Dr. Ashok Mukherjee, Regional Chair John Henry, Pickering Mayor Dave Ryan, Kennedy's Intervention Services Inc., Black Actions Defense Committee, Human Rights Legal Support, ARCH Disability Law Centre and many others. It is time to break these chains and free our community. To do so we MUST work together. So let's talk Durham. Together We Are Stronger®

Elaine is a social worker with the Region of Durham. Past service recipient and also past board member of WMRCC.

Director of Strategy, Research 

& Organizational Performance 

Durham Region Police Service

Vidal A. Chavannes, Ed.D, M.A.Ed., B.A., B.Ed, is currently the Director of Strategy, Research & Organizational Performance with Durham Regional Police Service. Dr. Chavannes has more than fifteen years of extensive experience in education and training in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom, including secondary, post-secondary and technical and vocational education and training (TVET) teaching and program development, delivery, evaluation and review. He holds a Doctorate in Education from the University of Calgary, with a specialization in Leadership. Dr. Chavannes has worked in a full-time and consulting capacity with a variety of public, private and non-profit organizations, all within the training and education ecosystem. Through these engagements, he has written curriculum, developed articulation agreements, managed faculty and staff and charted the strategic direction of a variety of organizations across North America and internationally. Dr. Chavannes is currently a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow with the University of Toronto, where he is working on a national research study focused on Black student university access. He is also an Associate Member of the Yeates School of Graduate Studies at Ryerson University, where he is supervising a PhD candidate in the G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education.

Deputy Chief 

Deputy Chief Joe Maiorano (Interim) is currently the officer in charge of Policing Operations. 

Joe has enjoyed a diverse career in frontline policing as a uniform patrol officer and as a member of the Service’s Tactical Support Unit. Throughout his career Joe experienced administrative assignments in policy development and planning, investigative assignments in the Criminal Investigations Bureau and Professional Standards Unit, Inspector roles in the Duty Inspector’s Office and Communications/911 Unit, and Superintendent of Patrol Operations, Operational Support and Patrol Support Branches. 

Joe attended the University of Western Ontario where he earned his Bachelor of Arts (Economics) and continued his studies at Queen’s University earning his Master of Business Administration (Queen’s University).

Joe is noted for leading the successful transition of the Service’s multi-agency interoperable public safety radio system, building the system from the ground up. The system currently serves over 3400 users consisting of the police, eight municipal fire services, the Region of Durham, Ontario Tech University / Durham College security, and Ontario Power Generation Security and Emergency Services. 

Joe has volunteered his time with a number of Boards in the Community and currently serves as the Durham Regional Police Service Diversity Advisory Committee Co-chair. 

Health 180 with Carion Explore the Black Experience Townhall with host Greg Frankson and Speaker Janelle Benjamin. June 20, 2022.