The Pathy Foundation Fellowship is saddened by the loss of Harry Critchley, a beloved and fierce advocate in his community; a loving husband, father, son, and brother; and a loyal friend and colleague.  

Harry had a significant impact in the Fellowship community: as a peer, as a mentor, and as a guest speaker, generously lending his significant expertise to new generations of Pathy Fellows. Harry had an impact on every community who had the chance to know and work with him, particularly in his tireless advocacy for justice reform and prison abolition, which will continue to have a lasting and compounding impact. 

Harry co-founded the East Coast Prison Justice Society in 2017, with a mission to advocate for and with criminalized and incarcerated people in Nova Scotia. In his time as a Pathy Fellow, Harry led an initiative alongside his partner organization, the Elizabeth Fry Society of Mainland Nova Scotia, consisting of two key components: the launch of the Abundance Program and the establishment of the Truro Program Centre. The Abundance Program was designed to support formerly incarcerated women in Dartmouth by offering a comprehensive, peer-led reintegration program grounded in restorative justice principles. The program aimed to equip women with the tools and support to successfully reintegrate into society through 14 modules focused on personal development, employment, and education readiness, along with an on-the-job placement. The Truro Program Centre provided a service delivery hub to address the challenges faced by low-income, criminalized individuals in the region, particularly those affected by cycles of poverty, trauma, and addiction. 

Harry served on the board of the East Coast Prison Justice Society and the board of Elizabeth Fry Society of Mainland Nova Scotia until his passing. As a lawyer with a deep investment in social justice, his accomplishments were many. Harry was instrumental in advancing civil oversight of jail conditions and strengthening police accountability. He championed the creation of a sobering center as an alternative to incarceration and developed programs to address gender-based violence.  

Harry’s legacy and memory will live on through the work he championed, a wide community of people who knew his generosity and friendship, and his family whom he loved boundlessly.  

Donations in Harry’s memory may be made to the Harry Critchley Prison Justice Fund, devoted to sustaining Harry’s integrated prison and policing oversight work and to bridging post-secondary education with community service at www.efrymns.ca.