Indigenous Homes Innovation Initiative

Pamela Glode-Desrochers

Executive Director, Mi'kmaw Native Friendship Centre (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

Pamela Glode-Desrochers has been employed with MicMac Native Friendship Centre for twenty two years.

Pamela is a M’kmaw woman who has a deep understanding of Aboriginal perspectives and is passionate about helping urban Aboriginal people access support and guidance in areas such as social, health, justice and education that will meaningfully contribute to a safer, healthier and more vibrant urban Aboriginal community.

• Read more about Pamela

  Pamela’s mandate as the Executive director of the MicMac Native Friendship Centre is to provide quality structured social based programming to urban Indigenous people with a focus on reducing poverty and crime, health, housing, homelessness, justice and the promotion of personal and community health and well-being. She has a strong focus on the development of a new Friendship Centre that will provide opportunities for the urban Indigenous community to become self-sustainable.

  Pamela has been attributed with increasing the number of programs and services offered at the Friendship Centre in the last 3 years from 9 and to 28 programs which includes an employment and training program, housing program, several literacy programs and a youth program to name a few.

  Pamela believes effective communication is the cornerstone to any successful initiative and is committed to building partnerships with all stakeholders (Indigenous and non-Indigenous) on behalf of the Friendship Centre to ensure the quality of life for urban indigenous people is improved.

  Pamela is also an Executive Member of Atlantic Urban Aboriginal Knowledge Network (UAKN) and a member of the Aboriginal Circle that guides the UAKN.

  Currently she sits on the Board of Directors of the National Association of friendship Centers.

  In June 2017, Pamela received the Governor General’s award: Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers in Ottawa for Outstanding Indigenous Leadership.

• Interview with Pamela Glode-Desrochers

  Pamela describes the importance of the Initiative and how urban spaces can be made more welcoming for Indigenous individuals and communities.

Dawn Madahbee Leach

General Manager, Waubetek Business Development Corporation

Dawn Madahbee Leach is a proud member of the Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation on Manitoulin Island in Northern Ontario where she has served as a member of her community’s Council. Since 1988, she has been General Manager of the Waubetek Business Development Corporation, an Aboriginal Financial Institution that provides financing and economic services to Aboriginal entrepreneurs and First Nation communities throughout North-East Ontario and Southern Ontario. Waubetek also delivers aquaculture services to Indigenous people throughout central Canada. Under her leadership, Waubetek has proudly invested more than $80 million in 3,600 Aboriginal businesses who experience a business success rate of 94%. A graduate of the University of Waterloo Economic Development Program, Ms. Madahbee Leach also studied at York University and earned a degree in Political Science with a minor in Law from Laurentian University.

• Read more about Dawn

  Dawn is the first Aboriginal woman in Canada to head up a commercial lending institution. In 2004, Dawn was recognized as a “Mover and Shaker” for economic development in the Northern Ontario Business newspaper. She was also celebrated as one of Laurentian University’s 25 Distinguished Alumni during the university’s twenty-fifth anniversary. She also contributed chapters to two published book compilations: 1) “Changing Lives: Women of Northern Ontario”; and 2) “Governance in Northern Ontario – Economic Development and Policy-Making” by Segsworth and Conteh with her chapter “First Nations Inclusion: A Key Requirement to Building the Northern Ontario Economy”. She is a recipient of the Anishnawbek Nation’s Lifetime Achievement Award; the MNP-AFOA Canada Excellence in Aboriginal Leadership Award in 2017 and was celebrated as one of Canada’s 100 Most Powerful Women by the Women’s Executive Network in 2018. She has been a speaker at international forums in Australia, New Zealand, Europe and the UN on Indigenous economic development.

  Dawn serves on various Boards and committees including the National Indigenous Economic Development Board where she serves as Vice-Chair. She also serves on the Boards of the Peace Hills Trust Company; the Northern Policy Institute (a northern Ontario think tank) and NioBay Minerals Inc. She is serving on two national Ministerial panels on commercial fisheries and on Indigenous housing. Dawn is the owner of Indigenous Business International, a company that provides assistance to Indigenous peoples on sector strategies and corporate partnerships.

  Sharing her knowledge on the Aboriginal economy, she was instrumental in the development of the National Aboriginal Economic Benchmark Report (2012) and the follow-up National Aboriginal Economic Progress Reports 2015 and the upcoming 2018 report. She also co-chaired the development of the “Anishnawbek Nation Economic Blueprint” which is used today by several First Nations in Ontario. She also guided the establishment of the internationally renowned “Great Spirit Circle Trail” Aboriginal tourism organization based on Manitoulin Island in Northern Ontario.

  She believes strongly that economic development, and following the Anishinabek traditional values, are the keys to addressing the challenges that her people face. She is a northern style traditional dancer on the powwow circuit. Dawn is happily married to the National Hockey League legend Reggie Leach and is the proud mother of Crystal Madahbee. Dawn is also deeply honoured to be a Nokomis to 1 granddaughter and 3 grandsons.

• Interview with Dawn Madahbee Leach

  Dawn describes the importance of the Initiative and what changes at a community level could result from Initiative funding.

Sean Willy

President and CEO, Des Nedhe Development

After a 20-year career in the resource industry and an extensive history in executive leadership, community development and human resources, Sean Willy was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Des Nedhe Development in August 2017.

Willy joined Des Nedhe as Vice President in July 2016 and led numerous business development initiatives for Des Nedhe. His experience with Indigenous communities and corporations enabled him to establish strong ties between our companies and our numerous Indigenous and non-Indigenous partners.

• Read more about Sean

  With roots in the Denesuline and Metis communities, Sean brings an understanding of the expectations and needs of Indigenous people. Growing up in a mining household, he experienced life in communities across the Canadian Shield – from the Northwest Territories to Nunavut to Alberta to Saskatchewan.

  In his role as Director, Corporate Responsibility at Cameco, Sean developed the strategies and led all negotiations which saw Cameco build upon its successful track record with Indigenous peoples. This led to Sean building partnerships in Australia, the United States, and throughout Canada.

  Sean’s proudest career achievement was signing five community-based agreements in Australia and northern Saskatchewan and completing the unique legacy trust fund in Canada, the Six River Trust.

  Sean has served as past co-chair of the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business, past chair of the very successful Northern Career Quest and devotes much of his current additional time in working with global Indigenous communities on economic development strategies.

  Sean has two children and lives with his wife Melissa in Saskatoon.

• Interview with Sean Willy

  Sean speaks on the need to change the status quo regarding Indigenous housing and how this can be done using Indigenous innovation.