Vanessa Génier of Quilts for Survivors earns Ontario Chamber’s inaugural Community Impact Award

(TORONTO – November 7, 2024) – The Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) proudly presents its inaugural Community Impact Award to Vanessa Génier M.S.M., founder and CEO of Quilt for Survivors. This award is presented to a leader or business demonstrating a positive socio-economic impact in Ontario.

“For providing comfort to residential school survivors and enabling Canadians to participate meaningfully in reconciliation, Vanessa Génier is a deserving first recipient of the Ontario Chamber’s Community Impact Award,” said Daniel Tisch, President and CEO of the OCC. “We created this new award to celebrate a profound and positive impact made by an exceptional leader or business dedicated to social change – and that’s what Quilts for Survivors has achieved.”

A respected businesswoman and Indigenous mother from Missanabie First Nation in Ontario, Génier has received many commendations for her leadership skills and for working with hundreds of volunteers worldwide. Genier has a passion for quilting and believes that a quilt is “love sewn together” to create unity among people.

Following various business awards, Quilts for Survivors’ most recent acknowledgment comes from the Governor General’s Awards, where Vanessa received the Meritorious Service Decoration (Civil Division) for her work, which included educating Canadians on the impact of residential schools on Indigenous people. Génier has also been listed as one of the 25 most influential women of 2024 by The Globe and Mail.

“It is amazing what one person can do with the support of thousands. I never dreamed that my simple request for quilt blocks would reach over 6,000 survivors—my people— being honoured and carried by allies across the country and around the world,” said Génier. “True reconciliation can only be achieved when we work together daily. It’s a lifetime commitment. It will take the entire country to heal our nations.”

The Ontario Business Achievement Awards (OBAAs) is the leading program recognizing business success in the province. The televised Community Impact Award episode will celebrate Vanessa’s commitment to social justice and her innovative approach to addressing the legacies of residential schools.

Watch the 2024 OBAAs this Fall on TLN TV. The televised Community Impact Award will air on November 16/17 and is supported by the series presenting partner, CN, broadcast partner TLN Media Group, and episode partner NACCA, the National Aboriginal Capital Corporations Association. To learn more about the broadcast and the OCC’s partners, visit the OBAAs website.

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About the Ontario Chamber of Commerce
The Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) is the indispensable partner of business and Canada’s largest, most influential provincial chamber. It is an independent, non-profit advocacy and member services organization representing a diverse network of 60,000 members. The OCC’s mission is to convene, align and advance the interests of its members through principled policy work, value-added business services and broad engagement to drive competitiveness and sustainable, inclusive economic growth in Ontario.

About Quilts for Survivors
Through a nationwide collective effort of volunteers, quilters from across Canada craft full-sized blankets that are then sent to survivors of the residential school system and survivors of other trauma. Their efforts are backed by generous donations that support logistics and materials costs. These quilts are a symbol of support, respect, and love.

For more information, please contact:

Andrea Carmona 
Ontario Chamber of Commerce
Senior Manager of Public Affairs
andreacarmona@occ.ca | 647-234-0255

Vanessa Genier M.S.M
Founder & CEO
www.quiltsforsurvivors.ca
705-262-1853