Willy Fournier:  The New Katimavik

Beyond Volunteerism to “sustained engagement” with diverse Canadian youth

The Katimavik Experience

Arundel sponsored a Katimavik group in the 1980’s to do volunteer projects with local not-for–profit organizations.  About 35,000 youth have experienced the program since its inception in 1978.

Canada is facing a major issue of redress, namely the reconciliation of indigenous peoples with Canada. In the NEW Katimavik to be launched in early 2018, the program will seek to make Katimavik youth “the leaders in active reconciliation for future generations in Canada.” This goes well beyond volunteerism.

In the lecture, we will discuss the challenges, the approaches, and the importance of meeting the challenge of such reconciliation.

Willy Fournier was born and raised in Prince Albert, SK. He came to Montreal at 14 years of age to study the violin with Calvin Sieb. Subsequently he hosted a national youth public affairs show on CBC in 1967. He then taught 44 indigenous youth in grade 1 in a newly created First Nations community and school in northwest Sk. Returning to Montreal, he did undergrad studies at McGill and then worked for 18 years at Domtar.

Since 1992, he has worked as an independent facilitator with Indigenous groups across Canada, mostly dealing with health and social services, and youth protection.

He taught in the Indigenous Studies Department at Trent University for 10 years as an adjunct prof. He is currently the Chair of the Board of Katimavik.

Willy is married to Joan, his childhood sweetheart, and they have three grown children who live and work in Kuala Lumpur, Ottawa and Amsterdam. They have a cottage on Lake Macdonald.

Very importantly, for almost 20 years, Dr. Flin Flanagan was a life-changing mentor to Wily.

Pour plus d’informations, s’il vous plaît appelez à la bibliothèque au 819 681-3390 Poste 5607 ou contactez-nous par courriel à biblio@arundel.ca.

Des rafraîchissements seront servis sur place.