News & Events

Phil Fontaine, former National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, will be featured as a keynote speaker at a one-day conference on the legal, political and business impact of Canada’s endorsement of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Tuesday, Nov. 29, 9:30 a.m. George Vari Engineering and Computing Centre, Atrium, 3rd floor, 245 Church St., Ryerson University.

A dedicated and highly respected figure in Canada, Fontaine has been instrumental in facilitating change and advancement for First Nations people from the time he was first elected to public office as Chief at the young age of 28. He played a key role in the development of Manitoba’s Framework Agreement Initiative and negotiated the largest settlement in Canadian history for the victims of the residential school system. In 1997, he was elected to the highest position in First Nations politics, National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, and would serve for three terms in office before stepping down in 2009.

Fontaine has received many awards and honors for his work, including numerous honorary degrees and membership in the Order of Manitoba. He now owns and operates Ishkonigan Inc., a consulting and mediation company. Through Ishkonigan Inc., Fontaine has accepted the positions of Senior Advisor to the Royal Bank of Canada, TransCanada Pipeline, and Ogilvy Renault LLP.

The conference is hosted by Ryerson’s Centre for Indigenous Governance and the Ryerson Law Research Centre.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Suelan Toye
Public Affairs | Ryerson University
Office: 416-979-5000 x 7161 | stoye@ryerson.ca
@RyersonNews