Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund Legacy Spaces Program

GroupHEALTH is proud to announce that we have partnered with the Gord Downie and Chanie Wenjack Fund in our Legacy Spaces Program.

The Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund is a part of Gord Downie’s legacy and embodies his commitment to improving the lives of First Peoples in Canada. In collaboration with the Wenjack Family, the Fund works to continue the conversation that began with Chanie Wenjack’s residential school story. Learn more about Chanie Wenjack’s residential school story here.

Our partnership with the Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund in the Legacy Spaces Program serves as a reminder of the important work that must be done in continuing the conversation about the past, present, and future of Indigenous Peoples in Canada.

Our dedicated Legacy Space is located at our office in South Surrey, BC. Our Legacy Space is designed to foster a welcoming and safe space to promote conversation amongst Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples alike. We want this space to empower employees and visitors to connect with the journey of reconciliation and reconciliACTION.

In our effort to create a space that promotes conversation and education, we invited artist Amanda Hugon to design and paint a one-of-kind mural. The mural titled “In Good Hands”, is inspired by the traditional territories of the Kwikwetlem Nation.

Amanda (Manda) Hugon was born in the southern part of British Columbia on her ancestral territory of the Coast Salish. She is Sto:lo and Michif. Manda’s Grandmother is of the Kwikwetlum (kʷikʷəƛ̓əm) Nation which is located along the Fraser River. The kʷikʷəƛ̓əm people are the First Peoples of the Coquitlam Watershed. Her Grandfather was a Chief of Cheam in Rosedale, who are known as the “People of the Salmon”. Currently, Manda works In Terrace, British Columbia, where she is actively involved in the northern arts community.

The mural pictures Mother Earth holding herself up and encompassed by the many facets of nature: land, mountains, water, and trees. Nature is in abundance here; all elements are connected. All four seasons are represented, and Coast Salish elements are featured throughout. Each component of the mural has an important meaning, including the presence of various medicinal plants local to British Columbia.

Learn more about the Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund Legacy Spaces Program here.