Our Board of Directors
Diana Daghofer (Co-Chair)
Diana Daghofer is a writer and strategic planner focused on health promotion. She has been an active volunteer all of her life, most recently as a board member of the Saunders-Matthey Cancer Prevention Coalition. She is founding member of the Breast Reconstruction Support Team and a member of Breast Cancer Action Ottawa. After raising a family in Ottawa, Diana is relocating to the fresh air and mountains of British Columbia.
Jake Cole (Co-Chair)
As a federal public servant he led Canada’s R-2000 Home Energy program (focussed on energy efficiency and health) and represented Canada’s R&D international efforts in renewable energies. He introduced an unprecedented health promotion program into a major federal agency and is a long standing member of the Canadian Organic Growers. He co-founded the Federal Workplace Wellness Network, an association of some 80 individuals representing 25 federal agencies. He led the environmental program at the Canadian Coast Guard introducing new approaches both within CCG and in cooperation with other federal agencies.He volunteers with the Canadian Mental Health Association. He has written submissions to the Romanow and Kirby health commissions, Federal Ministers of Health, and the Ontario Minister of health promotion. He understands the connections between healthy living, environment, and health outcomes and the personal and economic benefits of improving the health of Canadians. He has been a longstanding advocate of health promotion rather than the sickness treatment priority of our current medical system. He was the Canada’s Green Party Shadow Cabinet member for Health Promotion and was the party’s candidate in the federal riding of Carleton-Mississippi Mills, west of Ottawa.
Frances Rubio (Youth Chair)
Frances Rubio has been active in the field of environmental health for years. Her graduate and undergraduate studies focused on the social factors influencing pesticide use in Ecuador and the physiological impacts of a particular environmental toxin on fetal development. Fran has travelled extensively in Europe, South America, and North and Southern Africa, studying, supporting and engaging in the work of civil society organizations, particularly those active in the area of environmental health. Fran’s education and professional experiences are fueled by a deep personal passion for helping people protect and promote their own good health. Fran has also been co-chair of the Cancer Prevention Challenge - the only fundraiser in Canada dedicated to raising funds to eliminate harmful carcinogens from our lives.
Pauline Cheslock (Secretary)
Pauline Cheslock is currently the Chair of the Windsor Cancer Prevention Coalition (WCPC). She sits on the City’s Windsor Essex County Environment Committee (WECEC). Pauline worked with the City of Windsor to pass their Pesticide by-law, which was eventually passed in 2005. Pauline won the Cancer Prevention award in 2006. Pauline is married to Jim and they have two children – Courtney and Brendan and together they all live a very active life. She lost her beloved mother Tina to pancreatic cancer in 2000, with Tina also suffering skin and breast cancer. She is dedicated to providing a healthier environment for her family to benefit from. She lives a chemical free - organic lifestyle and tries to promote this way of life to all around her. She is currently launching an anti-idling campaign in school zones to help protect children from harmful gases.
Mark MacKenzie (Treasurer)
Mark MacKenzie is a career businessman, running several small businesses including Appleseed Organic Lawn Care, healthyhomeservices.ca, and Cangro Biodiesel. He has served as President of the Organic Landscape Alliance for the last four years and has actively educated many on the advantages of organic turf care and the importance of avoiding pesticides. As a father of four, Mark has concentrated his volunteer and business efforts towards finding toxic free solutions for every day problems, so that we can pass on a better world to the next generations.
Stephen Faulkner
Stephen is a family physician trained in New Zealand who has lived and practised on Vancouver Island for 28 years. He was President of the Association of Complementary and Integrated Physicians of B.C. for 2 years and has a special interest in environmental medicine. He has worked closely with the Cowichan Tribes for many years and is very interested in spiritual and ceremonial methods of healing amongst First Nations people. He was recently diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia which has propelled him to become more active in raising public awareness of the toxic burden of pesticides and chemicals that is raising cancer rates universally. He believes that we must act now by raising public awareness to reverse this trend.
Savayda Jarone
Savayda Jarone has a practice as a medical herbalist in Halifax, NS, where she teaches people how to use herbal medicines to create better health. She does so in the clinic, garden, and in the wilds of Nova Scotia where she leads herb walks to identify medicines produced by nature’s pharmacy. As a fertility awareness educator, she helps women to either prevent or plan pregnancy naturally. She teaches a year long course on holistic living in attunement with the seasons, and leads an eight week cancer wellness and prevention series. Through these programs, workshops, her clinical practice, and regular columns in two local magazines, she teaches preventative medicine and the age old skill of self-care through natural means.
Sharon Labchuk
Sharon Labchuk has been a leading force behind environmental activism on PEI for the past two decades, working on many issues including pesticides, eliminating toxic chemicals, sustainable agriculture, and protection of forests, rivers and natural areas. Her work on linking agricultural chemicals and damage to human and environmental health has been featured in several documentary films and books. Much of the work has focused on cancer as 80% of the agricultural chemicals used in PEI are classed as carcinogens. In the early 1990’s Sharon was involved in a campaign to expose the toxic nature of emissions from the garbage incinerator situated next to the largest hospital on PEI. At the same time she wrote a booklet about household hazardous chemicals and alternatives to them for distribution in PEI. She was the principal researcher in 2005/2006 for the Environmental Health Association of Nova Scotia’s Guide to Less Toxic Products, a first-of-a-kind web site to provide information about less toxic products in Canada. In 2004 she became involved with the Green Party of Canada and founded the Green Party of PEI in 2006.
Sandra Madray
Sandra Madray is a co-founder of the non-profit, volunteer organization, Chemical Sensitivities Manitoba which focuses on the awareness and acceptance of chemical sensitivities, chemical usage and safe chemical substitution. She is actively involved in pesticides and other environmental issues. She represents Chemical Sensitivities Manitoba as a founding member of the Children’s Health and Environment Partnership and is a member of the Steering Committee of the Manitoba Eco-Network.
Dave Renaud
Dave Renaud is a Union Environment Representative for Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) at the GM Oshawa Autoplex, and President of the CAW Durham Regional Environment Council (CAW DREC) representing 10 regional locals with 33,500 members. Dave is leading CAW DREC through education, political action, and community involvement by opposing Durham Region plans to build an incinerator. In 2006, he was the recipient of that year’s Bud Jimmerfield Award, named after the President of CAW Local 89, who passed away from cancer of the esophagus caused by exposure to metalworking fluids, who challenged CAW members to go back to their workplaces and their locals, and work to prevent occupational and environmental cancers.
Sheila G. Richardson
Sheila G. Richardson has a Masters in Education from Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, where she took courses in community development, women’s education & counseling. She has Level 2, Pyschosynthesis from Pathways of Montreal. Sheila is a facilitator of the Transformation Game and is a transformational adult educator, mediator and therapist. Sheila is Chair of the Network Committee for BCANS: Breast Cancer Action Nova Scotia and CEO of Kings Hants Green Party of Canada. She is a cancer survivor, being diagnosed with breast cancer, November, 2006. She paddles with the Breast Quest Dragonboat team and operates a home based sewing business, ‘Rainbow Stitches’. She believes that we can prevent cancer NOW.
Dorothy Goldin Rosenberg
Dorothy Goldin Rosenberg PhD, MES, holds a Masters in Environmental Studies (York University) and a PhD (University of Toronto). An education and film consultant, she researches, writes and speaks on environmental health, equality, social, economic and environmental justice, peace and energy issues. She has worked with the National Film Board, school boards, non-governmental organizations, health professional and policy groups on these issues. She was principle research consultant and associate producer of the documentary video, Exposure: Environmental Links to Breast Cancer and researcher/writer of the accompanying guidebook Taking Action for a Healthy Future. She has led numerous training trainers workshops using these materials as educational tools. She recently researched and produced Toxic Trespass, a documentary on children’s health and the environment as a co production with the National Film Board of Canada.and has co-written the accompanying educational resource guide, Taking Action on Children’s Health and the Environment. She is also Volunteer Education Coordinator of the Women’s Healthy Environments Network (WHEN) and teaches Environmental Health at the University of Toronto. As a grandmother, she stresses the importance of our work for future generations on a healthy peaceful planet.
Beverley Thorpe
Beverley Thorpe has been working to advance clean production and prevention strategies for over twenty years. Her work as a toxics campaigner in the 1980s with Greenpeace in Europe helped secure a ban on ocean incineration, hazardous waste dumping at sea and a growing phase out of hazardous materials, such as PVC plastic. She currently lives in Montreal and is International Director of Clean Production Action, a non profit that designs and delivers strategic solutions to promote green chemistry, sustainable materials and healthy products.
Our Honorary Directors
Sharon Batt
Dr. Warren Bell, MD
Mae Burrows
Dr. Graham Chance
Michael Gilbertson, PhD
Ruth Grier
Dr. Trevor Hancock
Henry Lickers
Elizabeth May
Ann Phillips, PhD
Larry Stoffman
Dr. David Swann, MPP
Our Staff
Judy Field
Judy Field is the publisher of Healthwise Ottawa, a local health and wellness magazine that focuses on active living. She has an extensive background in printing and publishing. She worked for the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario for 13 years, organizing events and fundraising campaigns in the Ottawa area. Judy is an active long-distance walker, spinner and cyclist.
Bradford Duplisea
Bradford Duplisea has worked as a sustainable community project coordinator, public interest researcher, and advocate on a wide range of environmental and public health issues. From beautiful Prince Edward Island, Bradford currently lives in Ottawa where he leads the e-Communications initiatives of Prevent Cancer Now. When not working Bradford enjoys photography and riding his bike.
