John Lagimodiere
“Community is Everyone’s Business”
Recipient of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, the Saskatchewan Centennial Medal and Saskatoon’s Living in Harmony Award, John Lagimodiere is a dedicated community builder and role model. President of ACS Aboriginal Consulting Services and the Editor/Publisher of Eagle Feather News, Lagimodiere is also the recipient of the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce ABEX Award Business for Aboriginal Business. John’s enthralling performance as host of the award-winning national show, As If, on CBC Radio serves as another reason why he is a highly sought after keynote speaker, master of ceremonies, and facilitator.
A Métis from Saskatoon, he struggled through school before eventually convocating with a 3 year Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Saskatchewan. A degree that he strategically spread over seven years! His high school teachers are all surprised. Sociology studies with a focus on Aboriginal history and issues led to his current career.
Between facilitating Aboriginal awareness sessions for businesses across Saskatchewan and hosting various radio gigs with CBC, he has found the time to grow his business, Eagle Feather News into the largest independent Aboriginal newspaper in Saskatchewan.
John’s great, great, great, great grandmother, Marie Anne Lagimodiere, was the first white woman to settle in Western Canada and was grandmother to Canadian Metis hero, Louis Riel. John can trace his Métis family history back to the Red River settlement, the homeland of the Métis Nation in Canada.
As a business owner and employer of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people, John is aware of the challenges faced by both employees and employers in the workplace. It was this experience and background that became a leading force in inspiring John to develop his aboriginal awareness training program.
Since 1998, John has been delivering Aboriginal awareness seminars to an incredible array of clients, such as Sasktel, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Saskatoon Police Service, Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan, Provincial Court Judges, Cameco Corporation and the University of Saskatchewan.
The real reward for this guy is spending time with wife Deirdra and the kids at Shell Lake and coaching son Riel and daughter Willow in hockey.