Proud ‘radical’ poineered restorative justice
Elizabeth ‘Liz’ May Elliott
Born: May 22, 1957, in Montreal
Died: Sept. 9, 2011, of cancer in Mission, B.C.
Liz Elliott was born in Montreal on May 22, 1957. Her early childhood years included stays in Welland and Oshawa, Ont., but she spent most of her youth growing up in Ottawa alongside her parents and younger brother. Always a go-getter, Liz spent four years at Bell High School, but transferred to the new semester-system based Confederation High School to complete her Grade 13 and graduate in December 1976 (rather than June 1977). This permitted her additional months to earn money for post-secondary education.
She went on to earn an undergraduate degree in physical education from the University of Ottawa.
But her calling seemed elsewhere. Liz moved to Kingston where she worked for the Elizabeth Fry Society and her passion for social justice began. In support of this new interest, Liz returned to Ottawa in the late 1970s to expand her knowledge by studying at Carleton University, where she earned her Masters in Social Work in 1980.
At Carleton, Liz’s adherence to the politics of feminism grew stronger. She became an impassioned advocate for the rights of women. When later accused by some of being too radical, she did not deny this, pointing out that most significant and beneficial changes in society were usually instigated by radicals of some type. Suffragettes, for example, won the right to be considered “persons” under the law, and gained the right to vote, but only after much radical persuasion from protest marches, hunger strikes, and jail sentences.
Liz met her husband, Milt, at Collins Bay Institution, the medium-security prison in Kingston. He was a psychologist working with inmates there, while she was a social worker visiting prisoners. Shortly after marrying in 1987 they transferred to British Columbia where Milt was given a position at Mountain Institution, a medium-security prison in Agassiz, B.C.
Subsequently they lived part-time on a 40-foot boat in New Westminster, B.C. Because it could accommodate six persons, family and friends were often invited for weekend stays, joining in the navigation of the Fraser River and the Pacific Ocean. Their son, Kristofor, was born in December 1988. When daughter Maya was born three years later in September 1991, they decided to sell the boat and move to a house they bought on an acre of land in Mission, B.C.
While her children were still toddlers, Liz worked as a teaching assistant for Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, correcting student papers while at home. During this time she also studied for her doctorate. Some six years later she ably defended her thesis titled The Seventh Circle of Hell based on Dante’s Divine Comedy. It was a history of the response to murder in Canada.
In 1999, the new Dr. Elliott became associate professor in the School of Criminology at Simon Fraser University. Two years later, she co-founded the Centre for Restorative Justice at SFU and established the university’s first restorative justice course, which is still taught on all three campuses.
Liz also helped to establish a victim/offender reconciliation program, as well as circle remedies at the Ferndale Correctional Institution, a minimum-security prison near her home in Mission, B.C.
She was a longtime volunteer there. Liz believed strongly in giving prisoners a place they could gather to talk and learn how to build healthy relationships. She was one of those mentors who strongly believed that they who can teach, must also do. She was absolutely enthusiastic about what she taught at school and in prisons, and “couldn’t be boring if she tried” according to one of her students at SFU who appreciated all the field trips to prisons Liz organized for them as part of their criminology course. She was loved by her students and fellow academic colleagues there.
In 2007, Liz was approached by the Salvation Army to create an online restorative justice program for people working in the agency. She worked tirelessly on this project, and visited the Salvation Army in Toronto a number of times to present the material. Liz’s work took her all across Canada, Britain, Europe and South America. She spread the restorative justice message globally in the most self-effacing way. She inspired individuals, institutions, and communities into placed of caring, healing and constructive energy.
Liz faced family tragedy twice in a short time frame. In 2005, her teenage son was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Her world was turned upside down as she visited him daily while juggling work. He recovered fully, but a year later Liz was diagnosed with colorectal cancer. Despite an apparently successful colostomy operation in 2008, the cancer returned more aggressively than before.
While facing this life-threatening menace with complete dignity and courage, Liz culminated her efforts to completely package restorative justice by writing her book Security with Care in 2009-2010. The book was published in 2011, and serves as the framework for an SFU Criminology course. The accompanying online course is proving very popular, as attested by the director of criminology at SFU, Robert Gordon, who said a scholarship is being established in Liz’s name.
Liz’s work garnered recognition, including the Outstanding Service Award from the John Howard Society, Exceptional Peoples’ Olympics award from Collins Bay Institution, the Appreciation Award (VP) 2005-2010 John Howard Society of Fraser Valley (2010), and the Corrections Canada Ron Wiebe Restorative Justice Award, B.C. (2010). Liz has also been nominated posthumously for the Governor General of Canada’s Meritorious Service Decoration (December 2011).
Just days before Liz died, she visited Ferndale prison to see the totem pole being carved for her. One of the carvers, a prisoner, said the totem pole was to honour Liz, who was respected by everyone who knew her and her work in restorative justice. The weekly dialogue circles she attended were much appreciated. There she made a real impact on the lives of prisoners, community members, and often victims of crimes would also attend these sessions.
Liz played a key role in laying the groundwork for today’s restorative practices, and its community development in Canada. But to her close friends and family, Liz is also remembered for her vibrant personality and zest for life. She was a pillar of strength in her community, but she was a very modest person and did not like attention.
Liz passed away peacefully in her own home, as was her wish, and in the company of her loving family on Sept. 9, 2011.
Gordon informed the staff of SFU that day, saying: “A warrior has fallen, and it behooves the rest of us who share her commitment to pick up the banner and continue her work with greater resolve.”
A Celebration of Life of Liz Elliott was held in Mission Secondary School on Sept. 17, 2011. Hundreds attended, and many shared their memories of Liz.
The totem pole in her honour was raised in the atrium of SFU’s School of Criminology, during a blessing ceremony led by First Nation’s elders on Dec. 5.
Peter Elliott,her brother
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