CANTON – The Unitarian Universalist Church in Canton is now home to a Resolution Center.

The Resolution Center, a provider of community dispute resolution services in Jefferson and Lewis counties since 1983 and member of a statewide network funded by the NYS Unified Court System, announced the opening of their new office in Canton on Friday.

Located at 3½ East Main Street, the center will offer services such as mediation, conflict coaching, restorative practices, and family talks to communities throughout St. Lawrence County. The hours of operation are 8 a.m.–4 p.m. Monday–Thursday with evenings by appointment, and 8 a.m.–3 p.m. on Friday.

Executive Director, Jennifer Huttemann-Kall, expressed her eagerness to serve the expanded region. 

“We have a deep commitment to mediation practice and are thrilled to be able to offer our quality services to St. Lawrence County residents and businesses through this expansion,” she said.

Mediation is a low-to-no-cost service that supports individuals in addressing and resolving disputes through facilitation by a neutral, impartial mediator. The Resolution Center’s focus is community and family centered, seeking to partner with family, city, and town/village courts, and human service agencies to offer these services to individuals and families in need.  

“Everyone experiences conflict, but people often lack the resources to address it confidently,” said Rick Pominville, Program Director. “ADR — alternative dispute resolution — is a set of tools to help people address conflict and work toward effective solutions. Many communities in St. Lawrence County are especially rural and traveling long distances can be difficult or impossible for many residents. We are excited to use technology — in ways that weren’t widely available just a few years ago — to increase access to services for everyone.”

The center is also looking for volunteer mediators to support the expansion of services. Volunteers need no formal education and the training is typically free with each course requiring apprenticing and continuing education to become certified.

A 30-hour, in-person Basic Mediation Training is scheduled for March 7-9, 22-23, 2025 by nationally renowned trainer Duke Fisher.  

Individuals interested in services or volunteer opportunities as well as organizations interested in partnering with The Resolution Center should contact Pominville at (315) 785-0333 ext. 201 or rpominville@resolution-center.net.