Meet Our Advisors

I joined the Coady Institute in July 2008 as the Youth Programs Coordinator and am now working as an Associate with the Education Programs in the development of a youth certificate, Skills for Social Change.  As the Youth Programs Coordinator from 2008-2011 I coordinated overseas internship opportunites for young Canadian graduates, facilitated interactive learning opportunites for Nova Scotian youth and engaged in social justice exchanges in the community of Antigonish.  I was inspired by the Coady Institute’s approach to learning, and I am now pursuing my Master of Adult Education at the Ontario Institue for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto. I hold a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Sociology from Queen’s University and a business diploma in International Project Management from Humber College. 

I am the coordinator of the Toronto Food Policy Council at Toronto Public Health, a municipal body that has been instrumental in putting Food Security and Food Policy development squarely on the municipal agenda in Toronto. Before starting with the TFPC I was the founding director of Sustain Ontario – the Alliance for Healthy Food and Farming, a membership-based organization that advocates for healthy food and sustainable agriculture. Other past work includes developing the Evergreen Brick Works food strategy, and founding FoodShare’s Urban Agriculture program. In 1997, I co-founded Toronto’s first certified organic urban farm and, at the urban farm, developed six food micro-enterprises that employed youth-at-risk and people with mental illness. I have a PhD in Environmental Studies from York University and I’m the author of a number of reports and publications including “Menu 2020: Ten Good Food Ideas for Ontario,” “Seeds of our City: Case Studies From Eight Diverse Gardens in Toronto,” and the “Evergreen Brick Works Food Strategy.”

I live on Digby Neck in Nova Scotia and I worked for many years in the community-based adult literacy field in Ontario. Following that, I worked for inshore fishermen, community groups  and indigenous fisher peoples in the Bay of Fundy region of Nova Scotia. I am currently a policy analyst with the Government of Nova Scotia.  I am also a writer who has published two chapbooks and a full-length collection of poetry and a book of my poetry is due to come out in the fall of 2011 (Emerson Press).  I’m also a musician, with more than 8 CDs to my name, and extensive performing and touring experience in the field of improvised music.

My experience in community development is dispersed – I’ve focused on diversity children’s rights, inclusion of persons with disabilities, art, local economic development, and neighbourhood and grassroots philanthropy. But a common thread that runs through my interests is an enduring belief that people, whatever their circumstances, can make an extraordinary difference in their lives and in the lives of others. I was involved with social movements in the Philippines for almost 20 years on issues of human rights, democratic reform, people’s participation and grassroots empowerment. I helped set up a number of organizations, among them the Institute for Popular Democracy, Popular Education for People’s Empowerment, the Education for Life Foundation and the Movement for Popular Democracy. I served as Executive Director of the Institute for Popular Democracy from 1992 to 1996. I moved to Canada in 1996 with my wife and our two children where I pursued my passion for community work, in both volunteer and professional capacities, with organizations like the Arusha Centre, Oxfam-Canada, the Developmental Disabilities Resource Centre of Calgary, the Ethno Cultural Council of Calgary, the Children’s Legal and Educational Resource Centre, Sustainable Calgary, the Calgary Foundation and the Asian Heritage Foundation for Southern Alberta. I currently work as a Strategy Lead on Neighbourhoods for United Way of Calgary and Area.

I am Program Manager of Science and Research at Citizens’ Environment Watch (CEW), a charitable environmental organization in Ontario. I graduated from Queen’s University with a Bachelor of Science (Honours), majoring in biology. Prior to CEW, I worked in a plant ecology lab at Queen’s University. In 2006, I participated in the Young Conservation Professionals Career Development Program, an intensive program that provides professional development and leadership training for land and water conservation professionals in Ontario. I have also enjoyed being a volunteer member of the Markham Conservation Committee since 2005. In my free time, I enjoy Ultimate Frisbee, volleyball and playing the piano.

I’m a member of the Innu community of Mashteuiatsh, in Québec, and am a specialist in aboriginal issues in lands and resource management and forest ecology. I completed my undergraduate studies in Forestry Sciences at the University of Moncton in 2002. I regularly lecture at universities and conferences around the world, focusing on ecosystem planning and First Nations issues. As environmental planner for the Innu Nation in Labrador from 2003 to 2009, I was responsible for land-use planning and management of environmental programs, including the Innu Nation Environmental Guardians Program. I participated in various caribou planning and research initiatives in Labrador and beyond. Since my time at the Innu Nation, I have worked as a consultant in Aboriginal Forestry, including certification and spatial planning. I am also the Canadian Boreal Initiative’s Senior Advisor, Aboriginal Affairs, a position I’ve held since February 2010. In that role, I work with a number of Aboriginal communities and leaders in conservation across the Boreal region, with a focus on responsible development and sound management of our relationship with the land. In 2007, I was awarded the James M. Kitz Institute of Forestry Award, for my early-career contributions to the profession of forestry. I am an avid photographer, and my images have been published in numerous websites and news publications.

I am an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Environmental Studies at York University. My work is focused on developing practical policy solutions to climate change through collaborative efforts. I am particularly interested in strategies to develop renewable energy to their full potential and in finding new ways to communicate effectively about solutions to climate change and energy problems. During my work outside of academia I have observed first hand the growing need for professionals with better training to address environmental problems. That is why I decided to join York University and become part of an outstanding group of people, which are in the unique position to collaborate in the education of the next generations of problem solvers and innovators. Currently I am involved in the development of the World Wind Energy Institute, a new training network involving renewable energy centers located in Brazil, Canada, China, Cuba, Denmark, Egypt, and Russia. As well, I am focusing on evaluation of renewable energy initiatives in Ontario and British Columbia and an analysis of climate change policies in Mexico.

I am a canoeist and anthropologist, and the mother of two boys. Originally from a small farm in Alberta, I have long worked in the north and make my home in Yellowknife with my husband, Alistair. My work as an anthropologist with communities focuses on mining, mineral policy, social work, and impact assessment. I have designed programs in negotiation for large- and small-scale mining communities with Canadian mining companies in South America. I now work with indigenous communities to negotiate fair agreements with mining companies in Canada. As a Trudeau Scholar, I completed a PhD in Mining Engineering at the University of British Columbia.

I have been the Acadian Forest Campaign Coordinator with the Conservation Council of New Brunswick since March 2006. From Fredericton, I coordinate a province-wide campaign to protect the Acadian forest. I analyze policies, develop educational materials, lobby government and act as a media spokesperson. I also teach environmental praxis at St. Thomas University. As a CUSO cooperant, I was the international campaigner at the Mining Advocacy Network (JATAM) in Jakarta, Indonesia from 2000 to 2003, and continue to volunteer for JATAM, an organization that supports mine affected communities. I am a co-editor of the Mines and Communities website and sit on the boards of Mining Watch Canada and the Dominion News Cooperative. I am a founding member of the N.B. Media Co-op and the Fredericton Peace Coalition and am active with the Maritimes-Guatemala Breaking the Silence Network and the Atlantic Regional Solidarity Network. Born and raised on a mixed farm in Miramichi, I hold a M.Sc. in Environmental Science from Memorial University of Newfoundland and a B.Sc. in Biology from St. Francis Xavier University. In 2005, I was awarded a CIDA/AUCC CanadaCorps Scholarship to do community-based research at a nickel mine in Indonesia. As a recently appointed Gordon Global Fellow, I am examining through a gender lens the situation of indigenous women in Guatemala, Indonesia and Canada impacted by mining.

I am the Coastal Coordinator at the Ecology Action Centre, a Nova Scotia environmental organization working towards a more sustainable Nova Scotia. I feel I have the best job in the organization as I support coalition building, research, public engagement, and policy change for better management of coastal areas, climate change adaptation, and land-use planning. I also get to visit amazing beaches and other coastal ecosystems and work with a variety of inspiring groups and people. I graduated from Dalhousie University’s School for Resource and Environmental Studies with a master in Environmental Studies. I also have a degree in International Development Studies from the University of Toronto. My affinity for coastal communities is longstanding. I have worked on community-fisheries projects and sustainable livelihood initiatives in southeast Asia and with inshore fishes associations in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. In addition to my love of coasts and aquatic systems, I am also interested in affordable housing, coops, urban gardens, growing foods, mining, international solidarity, books and libraries, hiking, camping, and general zaniness. I serve on the board of Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society / NS Chapter, as well as of the Sunroot Eco-Solidarity, and Kabuki Housing Coop.

I am a Senior Project Manager for the Miistakis Institute at the University of Calgary, where for the past 5 years I have managed various projects related to landscape level ecosystem analysis and management, and sustainable land use planning in Alberta, B.C. and Montana. I have worked in the fields of conservation planning, conservation communication and private land conservation for over 10 years. I speak regularly on these topics, and am the author of several related publications. Prior to Miistakis I was the Executive Director of the Southern Alberta Land Trust Society, and consulted to non-profit organizations, as well as federal, provincial and local government agencies. I have sat on several non-profit boards and advisory committees related to conservation and land use, including the Government of Alberta’s Land Use Core Action Team, CPAWS (Calgary/Banff), and the Alberta Land Trust Alliance. I am currently the co-chair the board of the Alberta Ecotrust Foundation. I hold a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Human Geography from the University of Alberta, and a Masters degree in Environmental Design (Environmental Science) from the University of Calgary, where I studied the role of effective communication in the ecosystem management approach. I live in Calgary with my wife and two daughters, who are the inspiration for my work!

I am the Executive Director of Les amis de la montagne (“friends of the mountain”) in Montreal, a non-profit organization I’ve been with for 20 years. The mission of Les amis is to protect and enhance Mount Royal through community involvement and environmental education. I completed a Master’s degree in Urban Planning where I conducted research on Mount Royal – and I haven’t left the mountain since! Les amis de la montagne is a tremendous organization with about 30 young, committed and dedicated professionals, plus hundreds of volunteers who become actively involved by contributing their talent and expertise in service to the cause. Mount Royal is an icon for Montreal and a highly symbolic site for Quebec, yet remains constantly threatened by urban encroachment and the development of the many institutions situated on its flanks. Over the years, my work has led me to meet and work with government leaders, heads of industry, representatives of the mountain institutions, environmental and heritage specialists, numerous organizations and citizens. My 20 years’ experience in fund raising for Les amis de la montagne has led me to understand that every donation, large or small, is important and that the only way to “change the world” is to do it in numbers.

I am a member of the Heiltsuk First Nation, whose traditional territory stretches around the coastal community of Bella Bella, BC. I am the Director of Traditional Ecological Knowledge for Qqs (Eyes) Projects Society, an indigenous-driven non-profit organization whose suite of programs focuses on engagement, education and advocacy around the stewardship of Heiltsuk cultural and natural resources. A finalist for Ecotrust’s 2010 Indigenous Leadership Award, much of my work is concerned with building leadership capacity in coastal indigenous youth by reconnecting them to traditional values and place-based cultural identity. I studied medieval literature at the University of Victoria and have returned to my territory and to Bella Bella to carry on my community work supporting Heiltsuk youth, culture and environment.

I am an Associate Director of the Toxics Watch Society of Alberta and a lead organizer for the Alberta Environmental Network. I have worked in the environmental, non-government organization sector since 1988, when I began working for Greenpeace. Since joining Toxics Watch in 1991, I have worked on many environmental policy issues including air quality management, the Swan Hills hazardous waste incinerator, oil sands development in northeastern Alberta, and several regulatory initiatives. In 1993, I was a finalist in the Individual Commitment Category of the Emerald Awards for Environmental Excellence. I ran as the Green Party of Alberta candidate for Edmonton-Strathcona in 1997 and for Edmonton City Council in 2001 on an environmental platform. In 2005, I was honoured to be the recipient of the Alberta Centennial Medal for my work in Alberta’s environmental community.

I am the Coordinator for Sustainability at Vancouver Board of Education and one of the founders of Check Your Head, a youth-driven organization located in Vancouver. CYH educates young people on global issues by looking at the connection between global events and issues and local realities. I have served as a trustee on the Vancouver School Board where I drafted one of Canada’s strongest policies protecting students from advertising in schools, worked to increase student involvement in the school board and began a project called Sustainable Schools that is now working with Vancouver schools to implement climate change action plans. I also co-founded Get Your Vote On, which registered 20,000 new voters for the 2005 provincial election, and sit on the BC Board of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and Centre for Civic Governance. I am coordinating a leadership program in partnership with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives called Next Up.

I am a member of the Vuntut Gwich’in First Nation from Old Crow, Yukon. I am self-employed and have worked with Non-Government Organizations (NGOs), self-governing First Nations, and learning institutions throughout the north. I was formerly employed on contract with the Walter and Duncan Gordon Foundation as a Northern Programme Advisor. I have played a pivotal role in connecting the work of environmental NGOs with the priorities of Northern communities. Also, I have served on Yukon College’s Board of Governors, as President of the Gwich’in Cultural Society, on Porcupine Caribou Management team, and as an advisor to the Walter & Duncan Gordon Foundation.  I am a member of the Gwich’in Nation, who began lobbying against exploration and drilling in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the birth place of the Porcupine Caribou herd, and served as the official spokesperson of the Millennium Trek, across the Gwich‘in nation. I enjoy the outdoors in all seasons and working in diverse situations.

I am the Executive Director of a progressive youth serving organization located in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory. The organization, B.Y.T.E., attempts to create healthy communities where youth voices are heard and creative potential has space for expression. B.Y.T.E. envisions a community of individuals, young and old alike, who meet without judgement and fear, and instead cultivate tolerance, understanding, compassion and respect for one another. I came to B.Y.T.E. in October 2006 with a university background and experience in education, the environment and social science. I have taught young people from all walks of life — physically and mentally disabled, young offenders, non-English speaking, first nation and non-first nation. I also joined B.Y.T.E. with extensive managerial experience, office administration and relationship building skills. Before B.Y.T.E., I worked for a First Nation Government, taught in the education system, was a Child and Youth Worker, and a Community Programs Coordinator. Through my 14 years of experience with youth, I have come to realize their incessant potential and zealousness for life.

If there are two things I seem to have in abundance, they are words and motivation. When speaking of my community’s ongoing battle with toxic pollution and the need to protect the environment, I am relentless in my hope for resolution through global youth action. I hail from the Aamjiwnaang First Nation, a small community located in Sarnia, Ontario, about 120 kilometres west of London. What used to be home to a lush boreal forest area, Aamjiwnaang now sits within a forest of a different kind – it is surrounded by 62 petrochemical refineries. I am a strong believer in grassroots Aboriginal action. I co-founded the Aamjiwnaang Environmental Committee, an organization made up of community members spearheading the research and legal struggle in the area. Motivated by my experience, I joined Environmental Defence in July 2007, and formed the Aboriginal Program of the organization. I provide counselling and assistance in finding resources to First Nations communities across North America who are battling environmental hazards. My unit is also working on a community-developed strategy for environmental protection.

I am Inuk from Nunavut, and consider both Rankin Inlet and Iqaluit home. I currently reside in Ottawa, where I am an instructor at the Nunavut Sivuniksavut Program (NS). NS is a first-year college program that focuses on the politics, history and contemporary reality of Nunavut and Inuit. I work with a dynamic group of youth who are all Inuit from Nunavut. I teach classes in courses such as the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement, Contemporary Issues in Nunavut, and Inuit History. My current work experience is an accumulation of my prior work experience and my academic achievements. I received my master’s degree from the University of Victoria, where I was enrolled in the Indigenous Governance Program. My thesis, “Tukisivallialiqtakka: The things I have now begun to understand,” explored the relationship between government in Nunavut and Inuit governance. Focusing on the practice of political consultation, it argues that Inuit political empowerment in Nunavut can only happen once communities have the responsibility of initiating, directing and engaging dialogue within their own communities.

I have worked with the Wildlife Conservation Society in various roles since the beginning of my career. I started as an intern at WCS headquarters in 1987, then secured research fellowships in central Africa and eastern North America. Hired as a staff zoologist in 2002, I am now director of WCS Canada. While my research has ranged from tropical rainforests to subarctic taiga, the ecology and conservation of carnivores have been common themes. Over the course of my career, the questions that drive my research have been increasingly rooted in the role of shifting landscapes in biodiversity decline and/or change in forested ecosystems. These issues include quantifying the impacts of development activities (especially logging and hunting) on biodiversity, the sustainable management of tropical and temperate forests, and global issues in forest carnivore conservation. In North America, I have become increasingly involved in research activities associated with conservation planning in the large intact landscapes of Canada’s northern boreal forests (north of the 51st parallel).

I was born and raised in Denendeh (Northwest Territories) and I have worked since 2009 as the Program Manager for Dechinta Bush University & Centre for Research and Learning. This land-based, university accredited program covers critical Northern issues, from a Northern perspective, taught by elders and academic experts. I am one of the inaugural Jane Glassco Arctic Fellows, examining the integration of culture and Indigenous knowledge in the school system. I also sit on the Board of The United Way NWT. I studied Media, Information and Technoculture at the University of Western Ontario and I currently reside in Yellowknife with my husband and our two daughters.