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December 14, 2012 The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 37
New problem solver for the Columbia Valley
By Kristian Rasmussen
Pioneer Staff
An Invermere woman is putting her surgeon-like
ability to dissect conflicts to work with a new business.
Robin Kinnersley has lived in Invermere for the past 22
years and started her service, Common Ground Mediation,
with the hope of providing collaborative solutions
to the valley’s problems.
Working with local RCMP in the restorative justice
program and completing a certificate in family mediation
from the Justice Institute of British Columbia, Mrs. Kinnersley
solves problems by using an interest-based model.
“What that means is that you work on things that parties
already have in common and already agree upon, instead
of what they don’t agree upon,” she said. “It is more
of a collaborative approach instead of a compromise. It is
basically figuring out what they actually want and how to
get there.”
Although she specializes in family mediation, Mrs.
Kinnersley also lends her services and knowledge to separation
agreements, child custody and access agreements,
child support, marital disputes, workplace conflicts and
landlord and tenant problems.
“My greatest success would be just hearing feedback
from people,” she said. “I have had a few repeat clients
and the feedback I have gotten from them about how they
work differently with each other now is very rewarding.”
The rewards of her job do not come easy. Mrs. Kinnersley
must work to clean away excess emotional baggage that
attaches to many of the conflicts that she mediates.
“I find it easiest to separate that by really digging in
and finding out what the actual issues are and why people
want what they want. Not just what people want,
but why they want it.”
Ultimately, the end goal of mediation is for both parties
to come away with an agreement that works for everyone,
and in which no stakeholder feels like they have had to sacrifice
too much, she added.
“They might not get exactly what they want, but they
don’t feel like they have given anything up.”
Mrs. Kinnersley is a true believer in mediation and
has found that her experience and training has blossomed
into other aspects of her clients lives, she said.
“It helps how you deal with all sorts of family, friends
and workplace. You just see things a little differently.”
Wonderful windows
MASTER MEDIATOR — Robin Kinnersley is the owner
and operator of Common Ground Mediation in Invermere.
Photo by Kristian Rasmussen
This series of 3 sparkling windows are CIBC's entry into the Invermere Business Committee's annual window decorating contest. The final entries will be featured in the December
21st and 28th editions of The Pioneer. Photos by Kate Irwin
Correction
In a photograph in the December 7th edition of the Columbia Valley Pioneer
entitled ‘Leaving a legacy’, Cory Stuart was incorrectly identified as a student on the
Legacy Project carpentry training program.
Mr. Stuart was in fact the instructor for the program. The Pioneer wishes to apologise
to Mr. Stuart for the error.
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