Speakers

Cherie Brant
Cherie has First Nations law practice with a focus on commercial real estate, energy and transmission, and First Nations economic development. She provides strategic counsel to several First Nations seeking to fulfill their commercial development needs. Cherie also provides counsel to industry clients seeking to develop projects with First Nations and/or to understand the legal considerations relevant to Canada, and with respect to the constitutionally protected interests of the Indigenous nations with which Canada shares its land and jurisdiction. In 2017, Cherie received the Lexpert Zenith Award, a national award recognizing women’s contributions in the law. In 2012, she was named one of Lexpert's "Rising Stars: Leading Lawyers Under 40".

In 2012, Cherie completed the first 100% First Nation owned wind-power project in Ontario and is active in renewable energy development ever since having now completed over 300 MW of renewable energy partnerships involving First Nations and completed over 800 MW of partnerships involving First Nations for competitive procurement processes. As lead counsel to the First Nations Energy Alliance (a consortium of twenty First Nations) on the Integrated Power System Plan review before the Ontario Energy Board, her counsel was instrumental in promoting Aboriginal participation models for renewable energy procurement.

More recently in 2015, Cherie Brant was selected as lead counsel to the Chiefs of Ontario on behalf of the Chiefs in Assembly for Ontario to assemble one of the largest First Nations led limited partnerships in Canada. On December 29, 2017, the Ontario First Nations Sovereign Wealth LP closed on a share purchase and loan agreement with the Province of Ontario for approximately 2.4% of Hydro One Limited to support long term wealth creation for its 129 First Nation limited partners.

Cherie is both Mohawk and Ojibway from the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte and Wikwemikong Unceded Indian Territory. Cherie is a noted speaker, having presented on topics relevant to Aboriginal Economic Development and Energy Development across Canada since 2009. She was called to the Bar of Ontario in 2003.

Paul Calandra
Paul Calandra is the Member of Provincial Parliament for Markham-Stouffville. Before being elected to the Ontario Legislature in 2018, Paul was a federal Member of Parliament, elected in 2008 and re-elected in 2011.

Paul currently serves as the Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines (Energy). Before entering public service, Paul was a small business owner and insurance broker.

During his tenure as MP, Paul was a member on many committees including Citizenship and Immigration, Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics, and Government Operations and Estimates. He served as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage and later as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister, President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada.

Paul is a community advocate in Markham-Stouffville. He often highlights the sacrifices others make in building our community, including honouring local veterans and community volunteers. Through Hockey Night in Stouffville, Paul helped raise over $350,000 to support mental health initiatives at the Markham-Stouffville Hospital.

One of Paul’s most significant accomplishments in the community was the creation of the Rouge National Urban Park. In securing lands previously expropriated for an airport, Paul helped protect local farmlands that had been farmed for over 200 years, a move which also ended the possibility of a new international airport in York Region.

Paul lives in Stouffville with his wife Melanie and two daughters Natalie and Olivia.

Allan G. Douglas
Al Douglas is the Director at the Ontario Centre for Climate Impacts and Adaptation Resources (OCCIAR), located at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario. He has been working in the field of climate change impacts and adaptation for 15 years and has partnered with many different organizations in Ontario and Canada to develop and deliver adaptation resources. Al played leading roles in two large, regional climate change vulnerability assessments in Ontario and co-authored an ecosystems climate change vulnerability assessment guidebook for Ontario. Al has contributed content to a host of municipal climate change adaptation guidebooks and specializes in facilitating adaptation planning at the local and watershed levels. He has also contributed content to two Canadian National Assessments of climate change impact and adaptation, acted as an expert reviewer for the last two Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assessment reports and has expertise in climate science; climate change impact, vulnerability and risk assessment; policy development and adaptation planning in natural resource sectors. In 2016 Al co-chaired Adaptation Canada 2016, Canada’s first national symposium on climate change adaptation since 2005 and was most recently a member of Canada’s Expert Panel on Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Results. Over the past several years, Al and his team have partnered with Ontario First Nations to conduct climate change planning.

Chief Matthew Dupuis
Chief Matthew Dupuis was appointed the new Chief of the Red Rock Indian Band on June 4th, 2018; prior to that, Matthew was on his second term as a Band Councillor. Over his tenure Matthew’s portfolio’s include Economic Development, Business Development, Energy Development, Government Relations, and Employment and Training. Matthew is active on many boards including sitting as a Director for WZI, President of Anishinabek Employment and Training Services, and President of Supercom Industries. Matthew’s passion for his work is evident in the development of many projects such as the Greenstone Transmission Line, the East West Tie, the Chalet Lodge, and many other projects happening in the region. Matthew along with many of his colleagues created the Supercom Employment and Training Program, a program on which he has had the opportunity to speak to many educational institutions across the country. Matthew being born and raised in Nipigon Ontario has extreme passion for regional economic development whether it being a road construction project or a transmission project.

Jean Paul Gladu
Jean Paul (JP) Gladu is currently the President and CEO of the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB) based in Toronto. Anishinaabe from Thunder Bay JP is a member of Bingwi Neyaashi Anishinaabek located on the eastern shores of Lake Nipigon, Ontario. JP completed a forestry technician diploma in 1993, obtained an undergraduate degree in forestry from Northern Arizona University in 2000, holds an Executive MBA from Queens University and the ICD.D from Rotman School of Management University of Toronto. JP has over two decades of experience in the natural resource sector. His career path includes work with Aboriginal communities and organizations, environmental non-government organizations, industry and governments from across Canada. In JP’s current capacity at CCAB, he speaks extensively not only across Canada but internationally as he shares the challenges and successes of Aboriginal business in Canada today.

Currently, JP serves on the Board of Ontario Power Generation and Noront Resources as well as the Canadian Electricity Association Public Advisory Panel. He has most recently been appointed as the Chancellor of St. Paul’s University College Waterloo. His previous appointments include Colleges and Institutes Canada (previously ACCC), the Northern Policy Institute, Canadian Foundation for Economic Education, advisory member to the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, a committee member to the Provincial Forest Policy Committee.

Peter Gregg
Peter Gregg is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Independent Electricity System Operator. Under Mr. Gregg’s leadership, the IESO oversees the safe and reliable operation of Ontario's bulk electrical system and market, the province’s energy planning and procurement, and works with its partners to guide conservation efforts across the province.

Mr. Gregg is an experienced leader in Ontario’s electricity sector. As the President and CEO of Enersource from 2014 to 2016, he was integral in the merger of four of Ontario’s largest local distribution companies to create Alectra Energy Solutions Inc., the second largest municipally-owned utility in North America. Prior to this, Mr. Gregg served as COO at Hydro One Networks, overseeing effective power distribution across Ontario. Throughout his career, he’s been recognized for his leadership abilities and in 2015 and 2016 received the Ontario Energy Association’s “Leader of the Year Award”.

Mr. Gregg currently serves on the Council of Independent System Operators and Regional Transmission Organizations, which supports sustainable and reliable electric power delivery to millions of consumers across the continent. He is on the Member Representatives Committee of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation. He also sits on the Board of Directors of the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, the Ontario Energy Network, the Canadian Electricity Association and the Electrical Safety Authority, where he chairs the Audit Committee.

Mr. Gregg received a Masters of Business Administration from the Ivey School of Business and holds the Institute of Corporate Directors ICD.D (Certified Director) designation.

Teresa Harrigan
Teresa Harrigan is the Community Adaptation Liaison for her community, the Chippewas of Rama First Nation. Ms. Harrigan has spent the last nine months coordinating various climate change adaptation and energy projects within her community, including the development of the Rama Community Energy Plan and the community’s climate change and health adaptation project. While completing this work, she will be graduating with her HBASc in Environmental Science from Lakehead University in April 2019. Ms. Harrigan maintains her traditional values and love of community throughout in her daily, scholarly and professional endeavours.

Jordan Hatton
Jordan Hatton has been working for First Nation communities for nearly 10 years, and is currently the Director of Economic Development for Bingwi Neyaashi Anishinaabek (Sand Point First Nation), one of the communities on the route of the proposed new Greenstone Transmission Line. In this role, Jordan works on economic development, lands and community development, reserve infrastructure, and community consultation for the First Nation, which is working to develop its reserve land following decades of displacement at the hands of the provincial and federal governments. Through his work, Jordan works closely with BNA's neighbouring First Nations on regional economic development projects, including transmission development.

As President of Waaskiinaysay Ziibi Inc. (WZI), a First Nation Economic Development Corporation owned by 5 First Nation communities, including Bingwi Neyaashi, Jordan works with the Greenstone Transmission route communities in both WZI and Lower Matawa to try and bring new, and much needed, transmission capacity into Greenstone, both to service the new mines in the region, but more importantly, to provide economic development opportunities and potential to the First Nations along the route.

Christopher Henderson
Christopher Henderson was appointed to the IESO Board of Directors on March 1, 2017. Mr. Henderson is President of Lumos Clean Energy Advisors, which provides expert advice to First Nations, Métis and Inuit leaders on their participation in generation, transmission and geothermal projects and community energy planning. He acts as Executive Director of the Indigenous Clean Energy (ICE) Social Enterprise, which provides capacity building services to Indigenous communities for clean energy project development. His book, Aboriginal Power, was published in 2013.

For the past 25 years, Mr. Henderson has been a Canadian eco-entrepreneur, community leader and environmental innovator. Prior to leading Lumos Energy, Chris was co-founder and CEO of The Delphi Group. Currently, he also serves as Board Chair of the Globe Series of Conferences, member of the Editorial Board of the Energy Exchange Magazine, Managing Director of the EXCEL Partnership, and Ambassador for the Arctic Inspiration Prize.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Carleton University and a graduate diploma in administration from the University of Ottawa.

Darry Hill
Darryl is a Mohawk of the Six Nations of the Grand River Territory who has worked his entire professional career in various First Nation government organizations. He started out as a Capital Management Officer with Indigenous & Northern Affairs Canada. Darryl has vast experience obtained while working with organizations such as a First Nation philanthropic fund, provincial aboriginal sport body, and a civil engineering consulting firm. Most recently he has worked with First Nations on community energy plans. Darryl is now employed as Energy Projects Manager for the Six Nations of the Grand River Development Corporation.

Michael Jacobs
Michael is a member of the Curve Lake First Nation and brings a unique leadership profile to the Cambium Aboriginal team. Michael’s speciality is management consulting and community engagement for First Nation communities and projects. Michael has worked on multiple energy projects as well as projects in health, economic development, infrastructure development, governance, housing and environmental stewardship. Michael is a confident project manager and works seamlessly with First Nation leadership, staff and community members. Michael’s unique ability to translate the needs of all stakeholders into a language that is understood and relevant to a variety of audiences ensures that communications and information exchanges have value to all participants.

Tiaré Jung
Tiaré Jung is a graphic recorder, designer, and illustrator residing in the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Tsleil-Waututh, and Squamish First Nations (Vancouver). Her ancestors are Lheidli t’enneh, Hawai’ian, Chinese, and Irish.

At Drawing Change, Tiaré draws on her background in graphic design and facilitation to capture important ideas. Tiaré studied illustration and graphic design at Capilano University, where she also co-founded a student-driven community and sustainability engagement project, CapU Works. Since 2009 she has supported groups as a facilitator, designer, and strategist for social impact. Her personal goal is to listen deeply and make marks - of all kinds! - that resonate.

Margaret Kenequanash
Margaret Kenequanash is the CEO of Wataynikaneyap Power (translation - Line that brings light) a licensed transmission company, equally owned by 22 First Nations in partnership with Fortis to bring grid connection to the remote First Nations currently powered by diesel generators. Margaret held the position of Executive Director of the Shibogama First Nations Council from 2005-2017. Margaret received the “Executive of the Year” award at the Nishnawbe Aski Development Fund (NADF) Business Awards in 2008 and the Emile Nakogee award for “Outstanding Leadership” presented by Nishnawbe Aski Nation in 2016. Prior to joining Shibogama, Margaret obtained her post-secondary education in business, notably achieving and receiving an Academic Honour Roll award. Margaret has a vast wealth of knowledge gleaned over the past 20 years in various high level positions, including being on the Sioux Lookout Municipal Council from 1990-1994. Margaret carries the distinction of being the first female Chief in her northern home community at North Caribou Lake First Nation when she was elected in 1996 and is well known and respected throughout First Nation communities, and government Ministries for her remarkable work in promoting a better quality of life, and opportunities for First Nation peoples.

Chief Wilfred N.King, B.A., H.B.A., LL.B.
Chief Wilfred King is a member of Kiashke Zaaging Anishinaabek (Gull Bay First Nation) and is of the dodem Ogishmash (Kingfisher Clan). His post-secondary education focused on Criminal and Aboriginal Law, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Environmental Studies, and Community Infrastructure Planning. He has dedicated himself to serving his community and First Nation people in general in the movement towards greater self-determination and the recognition of Aboriginal and treaty rights. Chief King has used his business and organization skills to negotiate and implement a large number of agreements with neighbouring communities, governments and industry and helped to establish First Nation organizations and companies such as the Nokiiwin Tribal Council and WZI Corporation. He also took part in drafting and presenting the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples at events in Norway and at the United Nations in New York City. He is also currently serving as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Ma’iingan Development Limited Partnership. The company’s mandate is to develop a range of economic activities and opportunities for KZA-Gull Bay and its members, both on and off-reserve.

Jake Linklater
Jake Linklater started LongNorth Capital Group back in 2014 and hails from Neyaashiinigmiing (Cape Croker) here in Ontario. Jake has spent his last 24 years working for or with First Nation communities along with stops at various departments within the Government of Canada. Jake is considered to be part of a relatively small segment of leaders in the Aboriginal Consultation, Accommodation and Business Development landscape due to the cutting-edge agreements that he has either led or been a part of.

Jake has an ability to build relationships, trust, and rapport with almost anyone he works with. Jake is able to broker the necessary relationships and make the necessary connections between people, creating partnerships and alliances all the while motivating forward momentum to ‘get things done.’

But more importantly, Jake is focused on building long-lasting relationships that help his First Nation clients deepen their respective treaty and rights perspective among the many private and public sector stakeholders they engage with in their traditional territory.

Kyla Morrisseau
Kyla Morrisseau is the Consultation Coordinator/Climate Change Specialist & 20/20 Catalyst, Animbiigoo Zaagi’igan Anishinaabek, as well as the co-author of The Palgrave Handbook of Global Arts and Education.

Wesley Normington
Wesley Normington is the Executive Director of Relay Education where he has worked for since 2012. Since becoming ED in 2015, Relay Education has expanded its impact across Canada, with programming delivered in Nova Scotia, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia.

Roopa Rakshit
Roopa Rakshit is Ontario First Nations Technical Services Corporation (OFNTSC)’s community energy planning specialist, a role in which she helps communities understand their energy plans and supports them to achieve local, sustainable energy solutions, identify and access energy funding, prioritize implementation projects, build local capacity, and develop communication and outreach tools on energy efficiency and conservation.

Jason Rioux
Jason Rioux has a proven track record in developing and operating all forms of energy projects, especially carving new paths through complex energy markets, contracting, regulatory, and political environments. As Chief Development Officer of NRStor, Jason leads the operations and business development activities across Canada and internationally, and thrives on the challenge of marrying new storage technologies with new commercial business models -- a key success factor in developing energy storage projects. Previously the Director of Business Development for Ontario Power Generation, Jason led a wide variety of business development initiatives and played a large role in decarbonizing the Ontario power sector.

During his time at OPG, Jason worked on the repowering of coal plants to natural gas and biomass, new gas fired generation development, combined heat and power development, partnership management of joint venture gas fired facilities Brighton Beach and Portlands Energy Centre, advanced biomass research and development, and new technology projects such as energy storage. Jason served as Commercial Manager of the Portlands Energy Centre, a 550 MW natural gas fired generation station located in downtown Toronto. He developed and led the commercial organization of this $730 million facility, with responsibility for all gas and power trading activities.

Kenn Ross
Kenn Ross was born in Montreal and is a member of Millbrook First Nation of Nova Scotia. Upon completing his Specialized English Literature degree at Glendon College (York University), he worked in succession for the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB), CIBC and Bank of Montreal in various human resources capacities focused on Aboriginal employment. Kenn gained economic development experience by working for the joint federal/provincial Aboriginal Economic Renewal Initiative (AERI) and then Miziwe Biik Development Corp. In April 2012, Kenn joined the staff of the Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games as its Senior Manager, Aboriginal Relations, to ensure the meaningful participation of Aboriginal people and communities in the Games. Currently, he is an Advisor in the Indigenous Relations function at Ontario Power Generation.

Cara Sanders
Cara Sanders is a proud Anishnaabe Kwe woman and a member of Curve Lake First Nation. During her career, Cara has been an advocate to First Nations across Canada, supporting them on environmental concerns and development.

Cara has gained vast experience in environmental projects primarily large hydroelectric projects specializing in federal and provincial assessments, First Nation engagement, public consultation and field studies. Cara is now self-employed and using her knowledge and experience with First Nations on housing and renewable energy projects with a specific focus in remote communities. Cara participated in the inaugural 20/20 Catalyst Program in 2016 and acted as a mentor to the 2017 Catalysts, and is now applying her expertise and experience to her work with Lumos Energy.

Michelle Shephard
Michelle Shephard, the Economic Development Officer for Eagle Lake First Nation has been working with the community to establish their priorities going forward with their Economic Development Strategic Plan.Renewable Energy has emerged as their first priority.

Michelle has been working with the communities of Treaty #3 for the last twenty-five years, first in the fields of health and social services, then moving into lands and resource issues in the last ten.In that time she returned to university to complete an Undergraduate Degree in International Development/Conflict Resolution at the University of Winnipeg, and is just now completing her Masters in Natural Resource Management through the University of Manitoba, Natural Resources Institute.Not that she believes that the ‘Life Givers’ can be managed – rather, it is our relationship with the world around us that is the priority.

Michelle believes that there is a crucial connection between Economic Development and the Lands and Resources initiatives a community takes on. She will continue working with Eagle Lake First Nation – ‘Migisi Sahgaigan’ to bring to life, the community’s vision.

Andrew Wesley
Andrew (Andano) Wesley is Omuskego Cree from Fort Albany First Nation. Since 2015 he has been an Elder–in–Residence at the University of Toronto's First Nation House. Andrew is also an Anglican priest with the Anglican Diocese of Toronto and holds Master of Divinity degree from the University of Toronto. As an Elder he meets with students, staff and offers teachings on the preservation of Cree culture and language. He was involved in the establishment and operation of the social, spiritual ministry of the Toronto Urban Native Ministry. Andrew attended St Anne’s residential school for nine years, which gave him first–hand experience of this “dark history" of Canada’s treatment of Indigenous peoples. Andrew lives in Toronto with his wife Esther and grandson Elmi.

Terry Young
Terry Young is Vice President of Policy, Engagement and Innovation. He is responsible for developing and aligning IESO policy to reflect the broader objectives of the organization and Ontario’s electricity sector, including the need to foster innovation.

Mr. Young’s responsibilities include stakeholder and community engagement, communications, regulatory affairs, Indigenous relations, conservation, and other programs necessary for the implementation of effective energy policy.

A well-known spokesperson with 30 years of experience in the electricity industry, Mr. Young started his career as a journalist with Canadian Press-Broadcast News. He also served as President, Ontario Branch of the Kidney Foundation of Canada.

Mr. Young has been with the IESO since 2002.

Sarah Ambroziak
Sarah Ambroziak is the Program Manager of the Outland Youth Employment Program, a local, community driven initiative that works towards equity and opportunity for Indigenous youth. Currently, she works alongside 70+ Indigenous Nations and dozens of public and private stakeholders to deliver meaningful and regionally relevant resource-based employment and training opportunities for youth.

Sarah began her career with Outland in 2006 as a tree planter working on forests in Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta, Quebec and New Brunswick.

Sarah also teaches Public Administration and Indigenous Governance at Confederation College and consults on multi-disciplinary projects including economic development, land-use planning, research projects, capacity building, strategic plans, document control and proposal development for regional Indigenous communities. In past roles Sarah has worked as a Mining Development Coordinator for a collective of First Nations, an adult educator in far north communities and a community outreach coordinator.

Indigenous Communities

Speakers