| Katimavik-OPCAN Katimavik Foundation Katimavik Youth Services Katimavik Fund | |
| Katimavik-OPCAN, Canada’s leading youth volunteer service program, has been a front runner in youth civic engagement for the past three decades. Since it was founded in 1977, Katimavik-OPCAN has offered direct assistance to more than 2,000 communities across Canada. Each year, more than 100 communities join Katimavik in empowering tomorrow’s leaders by providing young Canadians with valuable experiences. |
Board 2007-2008
| Member | Role |
| Chair | |
| Ex-officio, Executive Director of Katimavik | |
| Anne-Marie Sicard | Member |
| Brent Slobodin | Member |
| Member | |
| Member | |
| Donna M. Michaels | Member |
| Member | |
| Geneviève Chevrier | 2004-2005 participant |
| Katherine A. Rethy | Member |
| Nick Newbery | Member |
| Renaud Sylvain | 2004-2005 participant |
| Rosanne Glass | Member |
| Sharon H. Lee | Member |
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| Robert J. Giroux |
“The Katimavik program gives young Canadians a unique opportunity to get to know the different regions of Canada, their populations and cultures. Youth contribute to the social and community development of communities and learn what volunteering and Canadian values are. My experience in federal public service and my knowledge of Canadian universities allow me to believe that I can contribute to the program and its growth.”
– Robert Giroux, February 2005
Robert J. Giroux was president of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada from 1995 until March 2004. Before joining AUCC in 1995, he was secretary of the Treasury Board of Canada and comptroller general of Canada. He also held the positions of president of the Public Service Commission of Canada, deputy minister of Public Works Canada, and deputy minister of National Revenue, Customs and Excise. Robert is a member of the Order of Canada, and a recipient of the Trudeau Medal from the Faculty of Administration of the University of Ottawa. He has received honorary doctorates from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario; the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ontario; the Université de Montréal in Montréal, Quebec; McGill University in Montréal, Quebec; Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario; the University of Ottawa, in Ottawa, Ontario; and the University of Victoria in Victoria, British Columbia. Robert currently serves on the board of directors of the Canadian Education Centre Network, Katimavik, the Canada School of the Public Service, the World University Service of Canada and the Canadian Council on Learning. He is also a member of the Canada Foundation on Innovation, the Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation and the Montreal International Centre for Governance. He has a bachelor’s degree in commerce and a master’s in science from the University of Ottawa.
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| Jean-Guy Bigeau |
Jean-Guy D. Bigeau has served in a variety of senior management positions and directed teams of professionals in the fields of education and community development at both regional and national levels. His expertise includes managing large budgets, implementing strategic planning initiatives and running major fundraising campaigns, in addition to contributing to the development of community programs.
Jean-Guy was appointed executive director of Katimavik-OPCAN, a national youth service organization financed by the Department of Canadian Heritage, in 1999. Katimavik is Canada’s leading national volunteer service program for youth. It provides young Canadians with the opportunity to participate in a program that fosters their personal and professional development through a combination of volunteer service in the community, leadership-oriented training and group living.
During his tenure, Jean-Guy has organized several major activities aimed at improving management of the program and ensuring its long-term sustainability. His initiatives have included the development and implementation of a strategic planning process, an organizational evaluation framework focusing on a results-based management approach, a comprehensive program review, a plan to diversity funding sources, the development of a Katimavik Alumni Association, and an integrated development and marketing plan. He is currently developing a variety of other initiatives through strategic alliances both at a national and international level.
From 1994 to 1999, Jean-Guy served as executive director of the Canadian Crossroads International (CCI). Financed by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), this international organization recruits Canadian volunteers to serve and foster international cooperation in more than 30 developing countries.
From 1992 to 1994, he was the chief executive officer of the Association for Canadian Studies (ACS), a national academic association funded through the Department of Canadian Heritage. The ACS works primarily with universities across Canada and the world developing exchange programs, publications and research projects aimed at promoting Canadian studies at home and abroad.
From 1986 to 1992, he was appointed chief executive officer for Le Carrefour, a regional learning centre in northern Ontario. He was responsible for implementing a series of new and innovative community programming initiatives. He also initiated a comprehensive strategic planning process with the board of directors that included a funding and program diversification strategy.
Bigeau began his professional career in management in 1978, when he first joined the Katimavik-OPCAN team as provincial coordinator, actively involved in the implementation of a new youth service program. From 1979 to 1986, he was a member of the senior management team in the Prairies, Northwest Territories and Nunavut regional office. He was an active player in the program’s expansion, which at that time was serving more than 4,500 young Canadians every year and had an operating budget of nearly $50 million.
Jean-Guy’s plans are to continue to be actively involved in raising awareness and appreciation of the diversity of this great country, while working to encourage the building of lasting connections between all members of our society. He considers Katimavik a powerful vehicle for calling the attention of young people to Canada’s richness and cultural diversity.
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| Anne-Marie Sicard, CA, MBA |
Anne-Marie is a Senior Manager with the Advisory Services practice of KPMG s.r.l./s.e.n.c.r.l. in Montreal. Her key focus area is developing and delivering improvements to the Finance function of companies of varying sizes and industries, making them a true business partner within their organization.
Anne-Marie was born in Ottawa, Ontario, and grew up in Gatineau, Québec. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the Université du Québec à Hull, and is a member of the Ordre des comptables agréés du Québec since 1998. She also holds a Master of Business Administration, with a specialty in Finance, from HEC Montréal.
Since 2006, Anne-Marie has been a member of both the board of directors and the audit committee of the Héma-Québec Foundation. The Foundation’s mission is to provide financial support for the design and development of innovative projects to keep Héma-Québec on the cutting edge of new knowledge and services related to blood donation, stem cells and human tissues.
Before joining KPMG, Anne-Marie worked for another international consulting firm specializing in the improvement large corporations’ financial performance. She has also worked in audit for an international audit firm for clients of varying sizes and industries.
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| Brent Slobodin |
Dr. Brent Slobodin is the assistant deputy minister of advanced education in the Yukon Government. With 19 years of experience in northern public administration, he has a strong commitment to adult education, literacy, apprenticeship and training initiatives. Dr. Slobodin believes strongly in collaborative approaches to adult education with First Nations and is always willing to try innovative approaches that will contribute to healthy communities and a strong northern labour market. He has worked in education, devolution and policy for Yukon Government and has experience working directly for First Nations in the field of education.
Born and raised in Medicine Hat, AB, he received degrees from the University of Alberta and Queen’s University, from which he received a Doctorate of Canadian History in 1986. After several years of teaching at Queen’s University, he moved to the Yukon in 1988. In addition to his public government experience, Dr. Slobodin has been a prominent voice in Yukon heritage, having served for almost 15 years as president of the Yukon Historical and Museums Association and from 1993-99, as the Yukon member on the board of the Heritage Canada Foundation. He backed up his commitment to Yukon heritage and post-secondary education by teaching courses in Northern and Yukon History at Yukon College for 13 years.
Never one to shy away from supporting and working with youth, he has invariably been a baseball coach and president of Baseball Yukon/Whitehorse. For close to 4 years, he was the assistant vice-president of the Volunteers Division of the Canada Winter Games, which was held for the first time north of 60 in February-March 2007. He counts as one of his greatest achievements being part of a volunteers division that recruited 4,100 volunteers in a territory comprising 32,000 people.
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| Carol-Lee Eckhardt |
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Carol-Lee Eckhardt was born in Dugald, Manitoba. She graduated with honours from the University of Manitoba in 1974, with a Bachelor of Interior Design. She is currently a designer for Field, Field and Field, Architecture – Engineering Ltd. Carol-Lee has previously been the owner and manager of Grass Roots Design, overseeing at first one, and eventually nine employees over the course of 27 years.
She was first elected Alderman for the City of Grande Prairie in 1992 and she is now serving her 4th term. In 2002, she reinforced her commitment to the environment with a presentation entitled “Creating Heat and Sparks: A Power and District Heating Project in Grande Prairie, Alberta," elaborating the steps that led to a power and district heating project involving federal, provincial, municipal and private partners. She also discussed how to create public awareness and support. In 2003, she was the lead speaker for the Softwood Advocacy Tour, stopping in 7 U.S. cities, meeting with mayors, Chambers of Commerce, International Trade Associations and Housing Associations.
As vice-president of culture during the 1995 Canada Winter Games, she chaired a committee of twelve and produced a comprehensive program that involved all aspects of the arts community, including a city-wide art walk, a school poetry competitions, and the transportation of a huge Jumbotron video screen from Bristol, England to Grande Prairie for the live multimedia show that aired every night in a local park.
Carol-Lee currently sits on the board of directors of Katimavik. She is also appointed chairman for the General Government Services Committee, The Arts Development Committee and the Community Forest Committee.
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| Chuck Blyth |
Chuck Blyth was born in Calgary in 1955. He has worked for Parks Canada since 1979 and resided in the north since 1987. He currently resides in Fort Simpson and is the superintendent for Nahanni National Park Reserve.
Outside the workplace, he has a long history of volunteering his time and working with youth in both arts and sports organizations. He is past president of the Open Sky Creative Arts Society, an organization that fosters a variety of arts related activities with youth in the Northwest Territories.
In sports, Chuck has served on the boards of many hockey and lacrosse associations. He served as vice president of NWT hockey, and served on the minor council for the Canadian Hockey Association. He spent two summers managing a team of northern kids traveling through Manitoba in preparation for the Canada Winter Games.
Two years ago Justin Trudeau and Chuck met on the Nahanni River and discussed the needs of northern youth and volunteerism. Shortly thereafter, Chuck was invited to serve on the board. He brings to Katimavik’s board a voice for the north and aboriginal youth.
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| Donna M. Michaels, Ed.D. |
Donna was born in Sudbury, Ontario, and resides in Brandon, Manitoba, where she serves as superintendent of schools and chief executive officer with the Brandon School Division, and is involved actively in community development initiatives. Donna holds a Master of Education degree in curriculum and education administration from the University of Manitoba and a Doctorate in Education from Nova Southeastern University, Florida, USA. She has professional teaching certificates in Manitoba, Alberta and British Columbia.
During the journey of her professional career, Donna has focused her work very purposefully on the quality of learning experienced by all students. This focus has involved considerable emphasis on the development of school within school systems in providing quality teaching and learning for all students. Developmental work in board governance, system redesign and renewal, building leadership capacity in staff and students, and quality learning opportunities are fundamental to Donna’s work as a superintendent of schools and chief executive officer.
This experience in three provinces, a variety of school systems (size, diversity and complexity and with many capable people) has influenced Donna’s firm conviction that public education is the foundation of democracy. As such every child, young person and student is entitled to quality learning opportunities and results.
Presentations have been given throughout Canada and parts of the United States on topics related to quality learning, leadership development, system and school renewal and democracy in education. In July 2008, Donna and a Brandon School Division colleague are presenting research at the International Conference on Education, Economy and Society in Paris, France. This research focuses on the impact of school development on teachers’ daily instructional practices in the Brandon School Division.
Her professional service is complemented by considerable community development involvement including that of hospital trustee (Thompson, MB), member of board of directors for NEED Crisis Line (Victoria, BC), Calgary Immigrant Aid Society (Calgary AB), United Way board of directors (Brandon, MB), member of the Rotary Clubs of Harbourside (Victoria, BC), City of Calgary and City of Brandon, member of the board of directors for the Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba (Brandon, Manitoba).
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| Gayla Rogers, PhD, RSW (Registered Social Worker) |
Gayla Rogers began teaching in the Faculty of Social Work of the University of Calgary in 1978 on a part time basis. In 1987 she became the Director of Field Education, a position involving collaboration and partnership with social service organizations and community professionals. Field education is the ‘internship’ component of the curriculum and has similar features to service learning. In the area of field education, she has also delivered workshops for educators and practitioners and provided consultation to social work programs in Canada, the United States, Britain, Australia and New Zealand.
In 1998 she became the Faculty’s first woman dean, overseeing a faculty which focuses on child welfare, family violence, Aboriginal issues, international social development, aging and the social dimensions of health, cultural diversity and leadership in human services.
Over the past 20 plus years, Gayla has had the opportunity to develop her leadership capabilities in the fields of strategic and business planning; translating vision into action; public and external relations; fund development and communications; partnership-making and teamwork; budgeting and accountability measures; and managing academic, support staff and student issues. She has published four books, over 30 journal articles and book chapters and delivered close to 100 papers.
Gayla has always maintained a high level of volunteer involvement aside from work and her family commitments. She has volunteered on the Boards of the Canadian Mental Health Association, Jewish Family Services, and numerous parent school councils.
A current director on the Canadian Association of Schools of Social Work Board and the Professional Social Work Education Board of the Alberta College of Social Workers. She has also recently completed a six year term on the Board of Accreditation for the Canadian Association of Schools of Social Work which sets national standards, reviews educational policies and accredits social work degree programs throughout Canada. Gayla is also currently a director on the boards of two voluntary sector organizations in Calgary: the YWCA, and HomeFront Society for the Prevention of Family Violence. She also serves on the Council of Champions for the Children’s Initiative (United Way of Calgary), Governor’s Council, and previously on the Board of the Calgary Chamber of Voluntary Organizations. She accepted to join Katimavik’s Board of Directors in September 2005.
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| Geneviève Chevrier |
Geneviève Chevrier is a Human Kinetics student at the University of Ottawa. She has visited several countries in Europe and Asia, and loves learning about foreign cultures as well as their food! Eventually, she would like to help people improve their living habits.
“Katimavik gave me the opportunity to open myself to other people and overcome my shyness. It also helped me deal with people who are very different from me. Katimavik is the best school of life! I encourage everyone to jump head first in this wonderful adventure!”
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| Katherine A. Rethy |
Katherine was born and raised in the Toronto area and has had an exciting business career spanning 25 years.
She is an experienced senior operating executive with expertise in supply chain management, logistics, enterprise risk management and general management in global industrial companies. In her most recent role as senior vice-president of global services (information systems, logistics & supply chain, procurement, enterprise risk management and facilities) at Falconbridge Ltd., Katherine was responsible for service delivery and for improving business results by reducing costs and working capital and by increasing asset productivity. Katherine’s prior roles have included profit and loss responsibility for a $200M business, leading internal consulting and change projects, Canadian sales management, marketing management, operations planning, and corporate legal counsel.
Katherine has also taught at the university level, worked as a judicial law clerk and been a public policy adviser with the Ontario Government. She is active as a corporate director and advisory board member, having served in start-ups, subsidiaries, publicly traded companies and associations.
Throughout her career Katherine has been devoted to her family and maintained her passion for Canada, our North, and the environment. She has a strong belief in the need to mentor, coach and develop our young people to help keep Canada strong and vibrant. She has mentored formally and informally in the workplace, with the Schulich School of Business and with the Women’s Executive Network, where she is a member of the Toronto advisory board.
Katherine’s formal education includes a Masters of Business Administration from York University, a Bachelor of Law from the University of Windsor, and a Bachelor of Science (Biology) from the University of Toronto. She is also a graduate of the University of Toronto Rotman, Director Education Program. She has been named one of Canada’s 100 Most Powerful Women in 2004, 2005 and 2006. Katherine is delighted to serve on the Katimavik board of directors.
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| Nick Newbery |
Nick taught in England and Northern Ireland before coming to Canada in 1970. After teaching French for 6 years in Toronto, he went north in 1976 and for thirty years taught in small Inuit communities in the Eastern Arctic. During that time, he published numerous photographs and articles on the North, a documentary film, some poetry, two coffee table books on Nunavut and a large number of materials for Nunavut teachers. He gave workshops on teaching methodology and program development and for 17 years ran a program for at-risk Inuit teenagers in Iqaluit. In 2003, he was awarded a $250,000 grant to produce 10 teacher resource manuals emphasizing northern content and an English-as-a-second-language (ESL) approach covering most of the Nunavut junior high program. He was then sent by the Nunavut government to every community to in-service the staff on teaching Inuit children from a cross-cultural, northern perspective.
He holds a B.A. and Diploma in Education from The Queen’s University of Belfast and an M.A. in Northern and Native Studies from Carleton University, in Ottawa. He is a recipient of the NWT Government Excellence in Teaching Award (for work with at-risk northern children), the Canada 125 Medal (for work with the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award in Nunavut) and the Roy C. Hill Award (for innovative program development).
He and his wife retired to Nova Scotia in 2005, where he now teaches courses on the Canadian North at local high schools and at Mount Saint Vincent University.
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| Renaud Sylvain |
Renaud Sylvain was born in Blainville, Québec. Even at a young age, his deep interest in social involvement was readily apparent and culminated in his being awarded a Leadership bursary for his college studies, in recognition of his participation in numerous social and cultural projects.
During the 2004-2005 school year, he decided to take a year off. Renaud began his first real journey, an almost four-month long stint in a Costa Rican community, which enabled him to live a rewarding community involvement experience and help develop a more altruistic world. Still high on that invigorating project and hungry for more, he accepts Katimavik’s invitation and delves into this great Canadian journey. Between January 24 and August 24, 2005, he visited the communities of Thessalon (ON), Saint-Cyprien (QC) and Deer Lake (NL).
Active, committed, interested, motivated and open to others and their differences, Renaud lead a multitude of projects. He also participated in another humanitarian internship project in Cuba, in January 2006, as well as in the Prix littéraire des collégiens contest, where he won the privilege to publish a literary review in the newspaper Le Devoir.
During the 2006-2007 school year, he helped spread the word about Katimavik to youth in the Laurentides and Lanaudière regions. He also worked as a special events coordinator for the Ciy of Blainville’s leisure and community development service in summer 2006. Between January and May 2007, he assisted the Québec regional office in promoting the program throughout the metropolitan area. Since May 2007, Renaud has been working on various leisure activities programs for the City of Blainville, most of which are specifically aimed at teenagers. His greatest wish is to give them access to personal growth opportunities that are just as rewarding as the ones he experienced during the past few years.
Currently enrolled in the group leadership and cultural research undergraduate degree at the Université du Québec à Montréal, Renaud hopes to make both the young and old more aware of the importance of active citizenship. However, his real ambition is to use his work to inspire other to dream, as he most fervently does, of a community life where human relations and the maximization of everyone’s talents will fuel all our collective initiatives.
His involvement with the board of directors represents an extraordinary opportunity to develop this type of “better living” together. It’s a way to bring the aspirations and desires of all participants, past, present and future, to the very heart of the Katimavik family, in order to give all young Canadians a chance to live an experience just as rewarding and life-changing as his own. In essence, it’s really a chance to show the positive, long-term impact Katimavik can have on Canadian youth, and how the program not only benefits regional economic progress, but also brings citizens from different communities closer together and inspires youth to change the world in their own way. Getting involved with the board of directors is a way to remain an active citizen working to make this country a better place, where everyone can leave their mark on society.
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| Rosanne Glass |
Rosanne is proud of her Saskatchewan prairie roots and loves this “Land of the Living Skies” for its natural beauty and its sense of community – people helping people.
Her key personal and professional interests are social justice, holistic and culturally affirming education, as well as child and youth development and empowerment.
She is currently a senior executive in education with the Saskatchewan government and has led a number of provincial strategies such as integrated school-linked services, community education including community elementary and high schools, early childhood development, and early learning and child care. She was a major contributor to the award-winning Saskatchewan Action Plan for Children, a key multi-department plan between government and communities to improve the lives of the province’s children and youth – particularly the most vulnerable. She is recognized as a champion of youth engagement.
Rosanne also has extensive cross-cultural experience in youth education and development through her teaching at the Saskatchewan Indian Federated College and the University of Regina.
Over the years, Rosanne has been an active volunteer in her community involving women’s shelters, literacy education for immigrant women, supports to sexual assault victims, and fundraising and education for HIV/AIDS in Africa through the Stephen Lewis Foundation.
She is passionate about “getting it right” for children and youth and about collaboration with First Nations and Metis peoples.
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| Sharon H. Lee, M.A., CFRE |
Sharon is a dynamic and passionate leader with over 15 years of experience in the non-profit sector.
She is currently the director of development at the REALTORS Care Foundation (RCF), which is supported by the 44,630 REALTORS® and their 43 real estate boards, who volunteer and fundraise on behalf of the RCF. 100% of the funds are invested and the interest earned is granted out to shelter-related charities.
Sharon recently completed her Master of Philanthropy & Development from Saint Mary’s University, in Minnesota. She wrote her thesis on fundraising in diverse communities, using the Chinese community as an example.
Sharon became a certified fund raising executive (CFRE) in 2004 and was re-certified in 2007. She has a certificate in Fundraising for Nonprofit Organizations from York University and an Honours Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto.
She is a member of the Canadian Association of Gift Planners (CAGP) and the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP).
