Here is a collection of information about various events that our office has hosted or been involved with, organized by year.
Event Archives
Friday, March 8th, 2024
The #IAmSahraBulle Intimate Partner Violence Roundtable
Hosted by the Sahra Bulle Foundation in collaboration with the Office of the Vice President - People, Equity & Inclusion
Speakers: Lisa Gretzky, Fartumo Kusow, Angelo Marignani, Sukanya Pillay, David Pitawanakwat, Marissa Rakus, and Kathryn L. Smithen
In a shared commitment to combating intimate partner violence, this virtual roundtable became a beacon of collective responsibility, emphasizing compassion, awareness, and active commitment. Building on the momentum of the impactful #IAmSahraBulle Conference on December 1, 2023, this roundtable was designed to collectively explore and strategize the next phase of our initiative against IPV.
About the Speakers
Lisa Gretzky was elected as the Member of Provincial Parliament for Windsor West in 2014 and 2018, and currently serves as the Ontario NDP Critic for Mental Health and Addictions. A dedicated community advocate, Lisa is a long time defender and champion of public education. She is committed to fighting for a living wage, pay equity and social programs that truly support people and lift them out of poverty. She was elected twice as a School Board Trustee for the Greater Essex County Board, served over 36,000 students and helped to manage a budget of $290 million. Before her election to the Ontario Legislature Lisa held the position of vice-chair of the Greater Essex County District School Board and worked as a small business owner of a special event and wedding planning business. Lisa formerly served as the Ontario NDP Critic for Community and Social Services. Before that she served as the Ontario NDP Critic for Community Safety and Correctional Services, and was later appointed Critic for Education. During her tenure as Education Critic, Lisa routinely called for the government to provide quality in classroom supports and greater access to special education funding and supports. During the last term of the previous government she lead the successful fight, alongside students, parents and education workers, to save Provincial schools for the Deaf and hard of hearing as well as Demonstration schools for children with severe learning disabilities. In her previous role as Critic for Community and Social Services Lisa consistently fought against government cuts to social services, particularly supports for people with developmental disabilities. Her private member’s bill, Noah and Gregory’s Law, had passed second reading and if it was implemented, would bridge the gap between youth and adult supports for people with a developmental disability.
Fartumo Kusow was born in Somalia and immigrated to Canada at the start of the Civil War. Her first novel, Amran, was serialized in October Star, Mogadishu: Somali National Press in 1984. She was the only woman published with a serialized novel. Soon after that, she started writing a column for the paper until the war broke out. Since her arrival to Canada in 1991, she has earned a Honours Bachelor of Arts in English Language and Literature, and a Bachelor of Education from the University of Windsor. She now teaches English literature courses for the Greater Essex County District School Board. Her debut English novel is called A Tale Of A Boon's Wife. She is a mother to five adult children, including Sahra Bulle. She lives in Windsor, and currently runs the Sahra Bulle Foundation created after Sahra's death.
Angelo Marignani was born and raised in Windsor by his immigrant parents, Franco and Felicia. Angelo attended and graduated from the University of Windsor earning a Bachelor of Arts degree. After graduating, Angelo travelled to Tokyo, Japan, where he worked and lived for eight years. In Japan, Angelo was a teacher and a human resource personnel for NCB, Nova, and Mitsubishi Industries. In 1998, Angelo returned to Windsor where he became an entrepreneur in our downtown core, opening Milk Coffee Bar with a mission statement to nurture the creative spirit of Windsor. In 2016, Angelo sold his business and now is currently working at Magna International Integram division. Angelo Marignani has lived in Ward 7 for over 18 years with his wife Dayna, who teaches for the Greater Essex County District School Board, and his two children. Angelo Marignani has been listening to your concerns and advocating since 2010. Angelo is 100% for the new hospital being built on County Road 22 and 9th concession and will do whatever he can at the municipal level to have it built sooner than later. Angelo's vision is to build a brighter tomorrow for the people of our community, a future for our youth and security for our seniors. Angelo will put taxpayers first, work hard for job creation and ensure clean and safe parks and public spaces. Angelo feels it is crucial to focus on our road quality and safety. He will work on improvement to Tecumseh Road; Banwell Road; the E.C. Row Expressway; and Forest Glade Drive intersections, as they are some of the most dangerous in our city. Economic growth and job creation are also very important to Angelo: attracting new businesses and opportunities to Windsor with the ultimate goal of economic growth and youth retention. Clean and safe will be Angelo’s guiding rule in all policy decisions for our city. Angelo plans to create collaborations with our fantastic neighbours to the north, Detroit, to create a world class international community.
Sukanya Pillay is a graduate of Windsor Law (‘90), former faculty member, and an international human rights lawyer with expertise in Canadian constitutional law, civil liberties, trade and development. She is currently the Law Foundation of Ontario Scholar and a visiting professor at the University of Windsor Faculty of Law. Sukanya lives in Windsor, Ontario and is also a pubic speaker and writer.
David Pitawanakwat (Bii-da-wa-na-kwit) (approaching clouds) J.D., the Indigenous Justice Coordinator at Legal Assistance of Windsor, is currently teaching Indigenous history in education at the University of Windsor. David is from Wiikwemkong unceded territory located on Manitoulin Island in Lake Huron. He earned his Juris Doctorate at both the University of Windsor School of Law and the University of Detroit Mercy. He has been an active member of the Indigenous community on both sides of the Detroit River seeking to deconstruct colonial borders and advocate on Indigenous Issues. Throughout his career as a student, David was very active in social justice leadership including working on Wayne State University’s Land Acknowledgement. In 2022 he was valedictorian of the Windsor Law Class. He is well known for being a public speaker on behalf of Indigenous issues. He has been a passionate leader in raising awareness and calling for action concerning MMIWG2S. In October he coordinated A Sisters in Spirit vigil in Windsor on the National Day of Action for MMIWG2S. He calls on governments and non-Indigenous people to join Indigenous people in searching for justice on behalf of MMIWG2s. He asks everyone to join Indigenous people in refusing to accept government delays in responding to Indigenous demands.
Marissa Rakus is a first-year PhD Student in Applied Social Psychology at the University of Windsor. She is an assistant researcher in the HEAL lab on campus, and her main research interests are women's health and women's experiences with formal support services. She is also a member of The Health Research Centre for the Study of Violence against Women, which consists of researchers from across different disciplines that study violence against women. She also has first-hand experience through her work as a part-time shelter support staff at the Welcome Centre Shelter for women and families who are experiencing homelessness.
Kathryn L. Smithen is a fair, detail-oriented and fiercely loyal family lawyer. She advocates exclusively for women who are facing family law issues, including gender-based violence and sexual abuse. She is passionate about helping her clients find safety, stability and financial resources for themselves and their children through a trauma-informed approach to navigating the family law judicial system. Clients appreciate Kathy’s ability to help them understand what is happening and what to expect from the judicial system. She has experience from articling in criminal law that she uses to help her clients when they – or their children – are complainants/witnesses in their spouses’ criminal cases. Kathy’s passion in this area of law came as a result of her personal experiences as a survivor of domestic violence over 30 years ago. She is the mother of a child who was called as a Crown witness in her father’s trial for abusing her mother when she was nine years old. She realizes from the experiences she had supporting her daughter through the process that the children of survivors have unique issues after being exposed to gender-based violence. In addition to appearing as a complainant in a criminal case against her abuser, Kathy navigated fourteen years in the family law system, part of it as a self-represented litigant forced to face her vexatious litigant abuser in a four-week trial in the Superior Court of Justice, before and during her studies in law school. Kathy started her career as a family lawyer at the age of 49. She studied as a mature student and single parent at Osgoode Hall Law School at York University where she earned a Juris Doctor degree in 2008. In addition to having strong oral advocacy skills, she regularly relies on her research and writing talents when advocating for her family law clients, which she honed as an undergraduate student at the former Ryerson University as a Bachelor of Journalism degree student in 2002.
Friday, December 1st, 2023
The #IAmSahraBulle Conference
Hosted by the Sahra Bulle Foundation in collaboration with the Office of the Vice President - People, Equity & Inclusion
Speakers: Amina Abdulle, Nicole Bedford, Alimatu Dimonekene, Jeanne Francis, Venus Olla, David Pitawanakwat, Kathryn L. Smithen, Teajai Travis and Mbonisi Zikhali Zomkhonto
The #IAmSahraBulle Conference was a hybrid event dedicated to fostering dialogue, education, and actionable steps against gender-based violence, aligning with Canada’s 2023 theme for the 16-Days of Activism, “Listen, Learn, and Act.” Through insightful sessions and engaging discussions, the conference united advocates, survivors, and change-makers to propel tangible steps in dismantling systemic barriers and promoting gender equality and respect. It was a pivotal moment that aimed to empower change and create a more equitable society for all.
Due to the sensitive nature of some topics discussed, viewer discretion is advised.
About the Speakers
For more information about the speakers, view their biographies here.