Free Community Mediation

How can community mediation help you?

Having a disagreement with a neighbour, roommate, family member or someone else can cost you peace of mind, interfere with the enjoyment of your home or neighbourhood, create stress in your life, and make you angry or afraid. Small conflicts can become big ones if they are not resolved quickly. The traditional ways of resolving conflicts, like calling the police or a lawyer, can be very time-consuming and expensive, and often simply don't work.

The St. Stephen’s CRT community mediation service has been serving Toronto residents since 1985. Community mediation is an alternative way for resolving conflict. Our trained mediators help people talk about their problems in a safe and constructive way, fair to both sides. The process acknowledges people's rights and obligations. The mediators do not take sides, or make decisions about who is right or wrong. There is no agreement until those involved in the conflict are satisfied. Agreements made through mediation are effective because the people involved truly want them to work.

Mediation is voluntary and confidential, and for most disputes, is free. Our community mediation services are available to individuals living south of Eglinton Avenue between Victoria Park Avenue and the Humber River.

We can help with:

• Neighbourhood conflicts
• Landlord and tenant issues
• Interpersonal problems
• Commercial issues
• Minor criminal matters

Here's how the mediation process works:

1. Call us at 416-925-2103 ext. 229 or email us at crt.intake@ststephenshouse.com providing a contact number and the best times to call you. A staff person will listen to your problem and explain our service.

2. You make the decision. If you decide you want to try mediation, we will contact the other party to see if they are willing to take part in mediation.

3. Meet with the mediators. You will have an individual and confidential meeting with the mediators, giving you a chance to talk about your needs and concerns.

4. The mediation. The mediators will meet with you and the other party involved in conflict. The mediators will take both of you through our proven process to help you resolve your problem. Most conflicts are resolved in one meeting.

Statement of Community Mediation:

1. The purpose of the community mediation program is to help people change the way they relate to each other, especially in conflict, and to help people change their own approaches to conflict.

2. It is about assisting people to strengthen the humanity inherent in all relationships, strengthen the social fabric of our communities and rebuild trust in each other.

3. We are committed to social justice, social change and developing a culture of non-violence through a transformative conflict resolution approach using interest-based mediation.

If you are interested in joining St. Stephen’s CRT as a volunteer mediator, please read our CRT Volunteer Information and fill out the Volunteer Application Form.

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