Ottawa Victim Services (OVS) provides emotional support, practical assistance, referrals and advocacy to individuals who have been victimized as a result of a crime or tragic circumstance, without judgment in order to lessen the impact of victimization. OVS is a community-based agency committed to treating individuals with courtesy, compassion and with respect for their dignity, privacy and diversity.

About Us

Board

Matthew Kennedy
Chair

Matt Kennedy is the current Board Chair of Ottawa Victim Services (OVS). Since joining the agency in 2007, Matt has also served as a volunteer Victim Support Worker and Team Lead.

Meagan O’Hare-Gordon
Vice-Chair

Meagan holds a Masters of Arts degree from the Department of Health Sciences at the University of Ottawa. She has worked for government, non-profits, and has supported clients on the frontlines.

Harpreet Kaur
Treasurer

Harpreet Kaur Hunjan currently serves as Treasurer role at Ottawa Victim Services (OVS) since September 2022. She is a Senior Financial Analyst is at Ottawa Police Service which is an active community partner of OVS.

Jooris Nndongozi
Director

On July 5, 2021, Looris Tyson Nndongozi was shot and killed in Lowertown simply for being in the wrong place, at the wrong time.

Heather Lachine
Director

Heather has been a police officer for 28 years. She began with the OPP and in 1999 joined the Ottawa Police Service. She has worked in various positions including Patrol, Community Policing, Human Resources and the Partner Assault Unit.

Sarah Johnston-Way
Director

Sarah Johnston-Way has more than 10 years experience working in the public sector on policies and programs related to victimization and the criminal justice system, including roles in policy development and analysis with the Office of the Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime, Public Safety Cana

Sandy Wooley
Director

Sandy Wooley joined the OVS Board of Directors in October 2022. Sandy recently retired from her position as Executive Director of the Nepean, Rideau, and Osgoode Community Resource Centre (NROCRC) serving from 2008 to September 2020.

Meghan Cook Photo
Director

Meghan holds a B.A. in Criminology with a concentration in Psychology from Carleton University, as well as a diploma with honors in Police Foundations from Algonquin College.

Jill Broadbent
Director

Jill retired in 2018 after spending over 30 years working in the nonprofit sector of developmental services in Ottawa. She is familiar with the importance of liaising with community partners, funders, Board Governance, developing budgets, and maintaining accountability.

Staff

Executive Director - Heidi Illingworth
executivedirector@ovs-svo.com
613-238-2762

Funders

Ottawa Victim Services receives funding from the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services

Complaints Process

If you are unsatisfied with the service you received from Ottawa Victim Services, you may submit a complaint in writing to the Executive Director for review and response (executivedirector@ovs-svo.com) within 7 business days. If you remain unsatisfied with the response to your complaint, a final review will be conducted by the Board Chair and communicated within 14 business days.

Ottawa Victim Services is an agency required to deliver services in French in areas designated under the French Language Services Act (FLSA). We are pleased to review and address French Language Services (FLS) issues and complaints. If you have compliments or complaints about the quality of the delivery of FLS, you may submit them in writing to the Executive Director for review and response (executivedirector@ovs-svo.com) within 7 business days. If you remain unsatisfied with the response to your FLS complaint, a final review will be conducted by the Board Chair and communicated within 14 business days.