Wilma Derksen is an artist, author and acknowledged expert on the special needs of victims of serious crime. Since the abduction and murder of her daughter Candace in 1984, she has become an internationally respected, award-winning victims’ rights advocate, particularly in the context of restorative justice. For more than 30 years, she has supported victims of serious crime while facilitating a non-adversarial dialogue within the larger criminal justice community. She has consulted for the Canadian government, Correctional Services Canada, the RCMP, the Law Commission of Canada and the solicitor general. The author of multiple books, she has shared her story and her insights with audiences throughout North America and abroad. Wilma Derksen has founded or co-founded several important programs in Manitoba including Child Find Manitoba, now the Canadian Centre for Child Protection. In 2000, she established The Winnipeg Foundation Candace Derksen Fund dedicated to helping crime victims. More recently, she has shown her impressive art work at several Winnipeg venues. She has also established the non-profit organization, Candace House. Its goal is to open a
home-like resource centre, close to the Winnipeg Law Courts, for victims of serious crime in Manitoba. This year, Wilma Derksen earned her certification as an executive coach.
