Charlottetown, Epekwitk (PEI) – The Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC) is pleased to announce the election of five members to its Board of Directors at ITAC’s 9th Annual General Meeting (AGM), which was held in person on Monday, October 7, 2024. A recording of the AGM will also be available through the ITAC website on Tuesday, October 8, 2024.
ITAC successfully delivered its AGM in person, and the agenda included remarks from the board chair and vice chair and operational highlights from ITAC.
“ITAC stands as the national Indigenous tourism organization in Canada. As of April 2024, we proudly support a record-breaking year of over 1,300 members and 1,900 Indigenous-owned tourism businesses,” shares Keith Henry, President and CEO of ITAC. “Our strategy remains on advancing Vision 2030, positioning Canada as the world leader in Indigenous tourism.”
“It’s an honour to witness the impressive increase in ITAC membership during my term,” says Marilyn Jensen, Chair representing Yukon. “I eagerly anticipate ITAC’s growth in the coming year as we unite to demonstrate how Indigenous tourism is economic reconciliation in action.”
Elected Results
With the election of five members to the Board of Directors representing British Columbia, Nunavut, Ontario, Prince Edward Island and Quebec, ITAC is pleased to have strong Métis, First Nation and Inuit leaders and a majority of women on the board (62%). This continues to be vital for the organization.
Acclamations
- British Columbia representative, Dean Werk, from Great River Fishing Adventures (Director for ITAC)
- Nunavut representative, Sheila Flaherty, from Sijjakkut (Director for ITAC)
- Ontario representative, Jason W. Johnston, from Cape Croker Park (Director for ITAC)
- Prince Edward Island, Jamie Thomas, from Indigenous Tourism Association of PEI / Lennox Island Development Corporation (Director for ITAC)
- Quebec, Marie-Pierre Lainé, from Indigenous Tourism Quebec (Director for ITAC)
The full ITAC Board of Directors are now as follows:
Director – Marilyn Jensen, Yukon
Board Chair Yukon First Nations Culture & Tourism
Director – Brenda Holder, Alberta
Mahikan Trails
Director – Kelly Fiddler, Saskatchewan
Mosquito Economic Development Corp
Director – Colleen Lambert, Newfoundland and Labrador
Miawpukek Tourism
Director – Marlene Joudry, Nova Scotia
Program Facilitator, Master Artisan, and Cultural Facilitator
Director – Dave Daley, Manitoba
Wapusk Adventures
Director – Dave Smith, New Brunswick
First Nations Storytellers
Director – Dean Werk, British Columbia
Great River Fishing Adventures
Director – James McPherson, Northwest Territories
Sahtu Adventures
Director – Jason W Johnston, Ontario
Cape Croker Park
Director – Marie-Pierre Lainé, Quebec
Indigenous Tourism Quebec
Director – Jamie Thomas, Prince Edward Island
Lennox Island Development Corporation
Director – Sheila Flaherty, Nunavut
Sijjakkut
ITAC is excited to have such strong and resilient leadership guiding the organization toward its Vision 2030 of positioning Canada as a global leader in Indigenous tourism. For more information on ITAC’s Board of Directors, click here.
To view the 2024 AGM Draft Minutes, click here.