UNBeknownst Podcast Episode 37
Mi'gmaq entrepreneur Victoria LaBillois (BA'91, MBA'04) is the owner of Wejipeg Excavation Inc. and co-owner of Wejuseg Construction Inc, and oversaw the completion of a major wind park in Gaspesie, Quebec, where the companies trained and engaged over 100 Mi'gmaq tradespeople.
Victoria has served both the First Nation and federal public service, working at the Band, regional, and national levels. She is currently serving as Vice-Chair of the National Indigenous Economic Development Board, and represents the National Indigenous Economic Development Board in the development of Canada's first National Indigenous Economic Strategy. In addition to advocating for and facilitating conversations at the highest levels around economic reconciliation, she is all about giving back to her community, serving as a mentor and coach to Indigenous women and helping youth build skills around financial literacy. In 2019 AND 2020, Victoria was honoured by the WXN as one of Canada's Top 100 Most Powerful Women.
Host Katie Davey (BA'17) chats with Victoria about her career in a traditionally male industry and gets one of the best explanations of what economic reconciliation means in Canada.
Listen to the episode
In this episode
- How Victoria went from Arts graduate to owner of a construction and excavation company
- Context around why we need to talk about economic reconciliation for Canada’s Indigenous peoples
- What economic reconciliation practically means
- The process of drafting a National Indigenous Economic Strategy for Canada and creating a strategy to advance economic reconciliation – and highlights from this important document that guides government, academia and corporate Canada
- The 4 essential ingredients to economic prosperity for Indigenous peoples in Canada
- How all of us can help further economic reconciliation
Links and resources:
Thanks to:
- Our alumni host, Katie Davey
- Music by alumni artist, Beats of Burden
- Our alumni Affinity Partners, TD Insurance and Manulife
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