Our Team

DWF is an Indigenous-led organization with a core team of individuals who are committed to moving our mission forward.

We are located on the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat peoples and is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. We acknowledge that the area is covered by Treaty 13 signed with the Mississaugas of the Credit.

Board of Directors

We are governed by a Board of Directors made up of outstanding professional Indigenous and non-Indigenous leaders. We’re honoured to have a diverse and talented group who collectively guide us to ensure the journey continues towards supporting a stronger Canada.

Mike Downie

Founding Member

Mike Downie, and his late brother Gord, founded the Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund (DWF) in collaboration with the Wenjack Family. He is the co-creator and documentary director of The Secret Path. Most recently, he directed and produced The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal, a powerful exploration of the band’s legacy and its deep connection to Canada’s cultural identity. It premiered at TIFF 2024, where it won the prestigious People’s Choice Award for Documentary, and recently won seven Canadian Screen Awards. Before his career in film and television, Mike worked as a deep shaft miner in Northern Ontario, a medical researcher at McGill University, a junior economist in Toronto and a windsurfing instructor in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Mike has a Bachelor of Science degree from Queen’s University and a MBA from Schulich School of Business at York University.

Harriet Visitor

Founding Member

Harriet Visitor is an experienced educator and community leader continuously striving to improve outcomes for youth. Harriet has over 30 years of experience working in and advocating with and for First Nations communities in education and social development. She has worked in the federal, provincial, and private school systems in Canada, and has been a leader in the development of the Secret Path curriculum that is to be distributed nationally this fall. Harriet is a natural leader and advocate and provides incredible guidance to the DWF Board as the representative from the Wenjack family.

Victoria LaBillois

Director

Victoria LaBillois is an award-winning Mi’gmaq entrepreneur and founder of The Eloquent Hostess, blending her gift for languages with her commanding voice as MC for national events. She has served in First Nation, provincial, and federal public service, including on the National Indigenous Economic Development Board, Hydro-Québec Board, and Indigenous Advisory Council for Major Projects. Passionate about mentorship, Victoria dedicates her time to teaching financial literacy to Indigenous youth.

Dr. Alika Lafontaine

Chair

Dr. Alika Lafontaine is an award-winning physician, speaker, alignment consultant, and the first Indigenous physician listed by the Medical Post as one of Canada’s 50 Most Powerful Doctors. He is a recognized expert on Indigenous health systems and health policy, institutional bias, racism and reflective practice. For three years, he led the Indigenous Health Alliance project whose mission was to establish health transformation within Indigenous health systems, led politically by Indigenous leadership representing more than 150 First Nations across three Provinces. In 2018, $68 million of federal funding was committed towards health transformation within these Indigenous Territorial regions.

Dr. Lafontaine has been a northern representative to the Alberta Medical Association since 2011 and has held various leadership positions within the Alberta Medical Association and Canadian Medical Association. He Chairs the Governance committee of the Canadian Medical Association Journal, is a board member of HealthCareCAN and is a past president of the Indigenous Physicians Association of Canada. He is a council member-at-large with the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, Chair of the Regional Advisory Committee Region 1 and is a past member of the Indigenous Health Advisory Committee.

Dr. Lafontaine also holds operational roles with Alberta Health Services and is Medical Director of the Northern Indigenous Health Program.

He lives in Grande Prairie, AB with his family and continues to practice full-time as an Anesthesiologist.

Stuart Coxe

Secretary

Stuart has been a journalist, producer, and filmmaker for over 30 years. He started his career doing feature documentaries in Iraq after the first Gulf War and then spent more than 20 years at CBC TV News, ending his time there as the executive producer of the National. For the past 10 years he and his company, Antica Productions, have produced a wide slate of projects – from starting “Dragons’ Den” and “Shark Tank” in reality TV to his more recent work with Mike and Gord Downie on “Secret Path”.

His work has received multiple awards and nominations ranging from the Donald Brittain Award for best Canadian social political documentary, to the best new format at MIP (France), International Emmy for the best reality show, best of Commonwealth, and the Red Cross Prize from the Monaco Film Festival. He also founded the Antica Podcast network, Canada’s largest private distributor and producer of podcasts, which was recently acquired by eOne. Recent projects include Tanya Talaga’s “7 Truths” (Audible) and “Spirit to Soar” (CBC); Melissa Fung’s “Captive” (TVO); and podcasts with Will.I.am, Emmanuel Acho, Michelle Romanow, and Meredith Erickson.

Sarah Midanik

President & CEO

Sarah Midanik is an Indigenous professional who is passionate about increasing capacity and social impact within Indigenous communities. A member of the Métis Nation of Alberta from the historic Métis community of St. Albert, Sarah is a member of the Cunningham family. She is currently the President & CEO of the Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund, a national charity that seeks to build cultural understanding and create a path toward reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada. A dedicated volunteer, Sarah currently sits on the national board for the BGC Canada and the Canadian Council for Indigenous Business and supports the Indigenous Professionals Association of Canada. Sarah also sits on the CRA’s Advisory Committee on the Charitable Sector and has an MBA in the Indigenous Business and Leadership program from Simon Fraser University.

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The Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund

Registered Charity Number: 784055915RR0001

AI Policy at DWF

The Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund uses secure, purpose-built AI technologies to improve how we deliver resources and support our network. These tools help keep information up to date using publicly available data, reducing delays, minimizing waste, and ensuring materials reach their intended destination. Privacy is important; no personal information is shared outside of DWF, and you can opt out at any time.

About DWF

Inspired by Chanie’s story and Gord’s call to build a better Canada, the Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund aims to build cultural understanding and create a path toward reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. Our goal is to improve the lives of Indigenous people by building awareness, education, and connections between all peoples in Canada.

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Get In Touch

E-mail: staff@downiewenjack.ca
Toll-free: 1-833-666-2414
Local: 519-964-0393

Address:
PO BOX 749
OHSWEKEN, ON
N0A1M0