Dedicated to improving the well-being of children and youth in British Columbia

Stephanie Howell (she/her/hers) has worked in the non-profit sector for over 20 years, both on the front line and in administration. Before joining SCY, she worked as a consultant in research, program, and policy writing. She has a degree in Psychology from the University of Victoria. After living in Northern BC for many years, Stephanie and her family have now made Vancouver home.

Ildikó has a background in Psychology, Environmental Studies and Community Planning, and comes to SCY with years of child and youth engagement and leadership experience as a researcher, support worker, mentor, and outdoor educator. Ildi is driven by a passion for human rights, sustainability, and social justice, and a desire to better understand how children’s changing social, cultural, and physical environments affect their health, well-being, and resilience. She integrates participatory planning methods with social and environmental justice education in community-based work and research.

Suzette Narbonne, KC was called to the Manitoba bar in 1989 and began her career in The Pas with Legal Aid Manitoba. As counsel she travelled to isolated First Nations communities, conducting free legal advice clinics and litigating for her clients in criminal and family law cases– often in makeshift courts convened in band offices, recreation centres and hydro halls.

Since 1995, she has practiced law in BC.Suzette joined the Child and Youth Legal Centre at its inception in 2017, where she is managing lawyer. She has helped to shape the vision of child representation in BC. She has mentored many lawyers through the CBA, has served as a Governor for the Law Foundation of BC, as a Bencher of the Law Society of BC and as the Chair of the Legal Services Society. She currently serves on the executive of the children’s law section of the CBABC.

Alicia Hubbard (she/her/hers) graduated with distinction from the University of Victoria in 2004, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology. Alicia studied law at the University of British Columbia, where she obtained a Juris Doctor degree with a specialization in Law and Social Justice in 2011.

While in law school, Alicia completed an internship with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. After completing law school, Alicia worked for West Coast Prison Justice Society advocating for prisoners in B.C. with regard to health care, human rights, and liberty issues.

In 2012, Alicia began articling at Verdurmen & Company in Salmon Arm, B.C. She was called to the bar in 2013 and continued practicing law in Salmon Arm and surrounding communities, primarily in the areas of child protection, criminal defence, and family law.  Alicia has represented clients in the Provincial Court of British Columbia and the Supreme Court of British Columbia.  Alicia began representing children at the Child and Youth Legal Centre in June 2018.

Michael Zimmerman began his legal career in New Brunswick. In 2014 he moved to Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, where he oversaw the operations of provincial family justice services and the development and implementation of the Office of the Children’s Lawyer Program. Michael also directed the development/amendment of the following statutes: Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act, Judicature Act, Maintenance Enforcement Act, Family Law Act, Adoption Act, Child Protection Act, Child and Youth Advocate Act as well as the corresponding reform of impacted policies and programs.

In 2020 Michael moved from Prince Edward Island to Bowen Island. He is a Family Law Lawyer and works as the Managing Lawyer (Roster) with the Child and Youth Legal Centre. Michael is currently the Communications Officer for the CBA Child and Youth Law Section and Co-Chair of the CBABC Children’s Law Section.

Susan (she/her/hers) has a background in legal studies and comes from working at a law firm. She has 10 years of experience in legal administration and has participated in a variety of professional development courses related to family and children’s law matters as well as trauma-informed practice. Seeking to make a meaningful impact with her career, Susan joined the Child and Youth Legal Centre shortly after its inception in 2017. Outside of work Susan enjoys spending time with her family, friends, and her German Shepherd, Dre.

I studied in a legal assistant program and worked at a law firm for almost 2 years. I joined the Society to advocate for the children, that they have a voice and can be heard. As I have my own child, I want her voice to be heard and to live in a society that protects her rights to grow up in a safe and healthy environment. My interests mostly focus on making memories with my daughter, doing things like watching movies together, going for a walk, and travelling if we can.

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Simran (she/her) is a able-bodied, young woman of color and a racialized settler from Ambala, Punjab in Northern India who has been settled on the stolen and occupied Coast Salish territories of the xwməθkwəy əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səlílwəta (Tsleil-Waututh) nations since she was 4 years old. She is interested in building her capacity in relation to process-based and translation work to support folks to do what they do best! She is passionate about unlearning and relearning how to show up for frontline communities and looks forward to bringing her lived experiences to the ‘behind-the-scenes’ type of work at SCY. She launched her own home-baking business called ‘Sinamon Hearts’ in 2024 and loves spending time carefully crafting samosas with chutneys and gluten-free muffins as well as loaves for her customers. 

Joanne has spent her career supporting children and families in a variety of ways including youth mentoring, employment, surviving family violence, community outreach and as a child and youth worker. She brings these skills and experiences to continue her work in encouraging children to be creative, be active and explore their communities.

After growing up in Vancouver, Katie (self-proclaimed serial entrepreneur) has spent the past 20 years living in the beautiful Okanagan, supporting families and community throughout her career and volunteerism with children, youth and vulnerable families. In addition to her role of Interior Regional Coordinator for the Walking School Bus here at SCY of BC, Katie owns an art studio that provides accessible youth art and entrepreneurship programs. Katie is passionate about removing barriers for children through empowerment and advocating for the support of healthy families. In her spare time, Katie can be found hiding from cell coverage while exploring other countries, or deep in the forest with her human or fur children. Her sustainable development goals are: #10, #2 & #4.

Shijia (she/her) comes to SCY with a background in urban planning and community engagement. She has over 10 years of experience designing safe, inclusive, and child-friendly spaces, leading projects such as playground and park designs, school traffic safety improvements, and community research studies. Shijia holds a Master of Land and Water Systems (UBC) and a Master of Civic Design – Town & Regional Planning (the University of Liverpool). She is passionate about fostering children’s well-being and enjoys creating programs and events that connect families and communities. Outside of work, she loves to travel, go hiking, practice yoga, and spend quality time with family and friends.

Rehn (they/them) brings over a decade of experience in administrative and operational support, with a strong focus on people-centered, values-driven work. Originally from Australia but now calls Vancouver home, Rehn has built a career grounded in collaboration, care and the quiet impact of solid behind-the-scenes support. They thrive in spaces that champion inclusivity and justice, bringing both structure and heart to the spaces they work in. Outside the office, Rehn can be found enjoying long walks with their two dogs, or deep in conversation with close friends, celebrating queer joy and nurturing the relationships that keep them grounded and inspired.

Madison comes to SCY with a bachelor’s degree in psychology from SFU, and a background in non-profit, community service, and helpline support roles. She is excited to bring her passion for providing person-centered advocacy to her role with the CYLC, with the belief that everyone is the expert in their own experience, and deserves to have their story be heard, understood, and valued.
Outside of work, Madison enjoys starting (but not always finishing) art projects, watching movies, spending time with her cats (Cowboy and Fisherman), and karaokeing.

Ashley (she/they) grew up in the Lower Mainland but now calls Vancouver Island home. She comes into this work with a background in mental wellbeing and sexual health, including a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Victoria. Some may describe Ashley as a collector of hats – in recent years they have worn many hats like educator, support worker, childcare provider, and crisis intervention worker. The passion that has connected this all is her drive to create community. In both work and personal life, Ashley strives to create a sense of belonging for folks. This, paired with a desire to promote movement through play, is central to the work she does at SCY. In life outside of work, you may find them dancing to live music, crafting up a storm, or jumping into the ocean.  

Assistant Professor, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia

Dr. Brittany Bingham – (she/her/hers), is a proud member of the shíshálh (Sechelt) nation and holds an MPH and PhD in Health Sciences from Simon Fraser University. Brittany is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Social Medicine in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia and a Health Research BC Scholar. Brittany leads Indigenous community-driven health research with the primary aim of improving Indigenous experiences in healthcare and informing system transformation. She has worked in various capacities in research with Indigenous communities, healthcare and policy for 20 years. She is passionate about community-driven research, Indigenous health equity & women’s health, implementation science, planetary health, sexual and reproductive health, learning health systems and cultural safety & humility. Brittany is the Founder & Lead of a new Indigenous Health Equity Lab at Women’s Health Research Institute (WHRI). Brittany has previously served as a board member for the Public Health Association of BC, Mom2Mom and the Combining our Strength Council at the Minerva Foundation. She is a passionate advocate for Indigenous rights, particularly uplifting Indigenous youth and children’s voices and rights. In her spare time she loves spending time on the ocean with her family and is a busy sports mom driving her 2 children to their sports all over the lower mainland.

Indigenous Wellness Specialist with the Outreach Team with Northern Health

Mandy Ling, CFRE. Director, Development, Western Canada – Arthritis Society Canada

Mandy has dedicated the past sixteen years to the health care nonprofit sector as a professional fundraiser, strategist, and relationship builder. Her experience includes collaborating with a team to develop a marketing plan for a $50 million health care infrastructure project and managing over 50 volunteers for a gala attended by over 600 guests, which successfully raised more than $1.3 million for a local hospital.

Mandy is passionate about the well-being of children and youth, advocating for their rights to help build a healthy community where they can exceed their potential. In her leisure time, she enjoys exploring the natural beauty of British Columbia through hiking, having picnics, camping, and bicycling with her family.