Paul LaBarge is one of the original founding members of the Trans Canada Trail, a legacy project of Canada 125, of which he was the corporate secretary. Paul has a long history with TCT, having been a board member, counsel and secretary to the organization. Paul is an active volunteer in a number of organizations in addition to a busy law practice, but is particularly dedicated to the Trail, about which he is a passionate advocate.

Paul is a founding member of LaBarge Weinstein, a business law firm located in Ottawa, with a concentration in taxation and corporate law. Paul is a member of the Section 19 NAFTA dispute resolution panel. He holds a Master’s Degree in law from Osgoode Hall and is a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada (Ontario) and Alberta. Paul is also the co-author of ‘The Copperjar System’, a book and workbook on personal financial planning.

Paul has been and continues to be heavily involved in the community and currently dedicates his time to a number of foundations in addition to the Trans Canada Trail, among them the Ottawa Heart Institute Foundation and the Community Foundations of Canada. A strong supporter of life-long learning, he completed his LLM in 2009.

Mr. LaBarge joined the Trans Canada Trail in 1995 and took on the role of Chair in 2011.

Jim Bishop is a chartered accountant and self-employed management consultant from Vancouver, BC. He formerly spent 27 years with Gwil Industries Inc. beginning as Corporate Controller and retiring as Assistant to the Chairman. He has lectured for the Institute of Chartered Accountants on mining exploration and development, and has also been active in his community as a Track and Triathlon athlete, coach and administrator.

Mr. Bishop joined the Trans Canada Trail in 2004 and served as Chair of the Board from October 2010 to October 2011.

Mylène Forget, president of a company celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2012, has led this consulting firm since the merger of her own firm with the family business in 2002. Said company has recently renamed itself Massy Forget Langlois Public Relations.

Mylène focuses her energies on strategic communications, issues management and crisis management, while supervising the team's work on various projects. She began her professional career practicing law with a Montreal-based law firm. She then served as a press agent for a Quebec government ministry, and then as a consultant with Massy-Forget until 1999, when she founded her own company, which she helmed as president for three years.

Under her management, the firm has won two Equinox awards, presented by the Société des relationnistes du Québec, recognizing the external communications campaigns for Krispy Kreme and Saint-Joseph’s Oratory in 2004 and 2005, respectively. In 2011, the Société des professionnels en relations publiques du Québec honoured her with two Awards for Excellence, as well as the Coup de Coeur Award, for the communications campaign supporting Brother André’s canonization. In 2012, the firm and its client, Équilibre, won a Platinum Award in Strategic Excellence in the Social Marketing Category for the Ton influence a du poids campaign and a Silver Award in the Writing Category for Lassonde’s Employee Report.

Mylène leads the Alliance des cabinets de relations publiques du Québec, which is comprised of most of the province’s major firms. She is also a member of the boards of directors of the Trans Canada Trail, Théâtre La Veillée and Public Relations Without Borders. In 2010, she presided over the Awards for Excellence of the Société québécoise des professionnels en relations publiques.

She often speaks at conferences, particularly for the Canadian Institute, the Jeune Chambre de commerce de Montréal, the Canadian Public Relations Society, and Infopresse events.

Mylène holds an international B.A. from Jean-de-Brébeuf College and a Bachelor of Law degree from the Université de Montréal.

Ms. Forget joined the Trans Canada Trail in 2011.

Eric Gionet is the Outreach Director at the New Brunswick Social Policy Research Network, and has many years’ experience working in various government departments in New Brunswick. Additionally, he has consulted on a number of Federal and Provincial committees in the development and implementation of social programs, policies and guidelines.

Mr. Gionet has a Bachelor of Social Work degree from Ryerson University and a Master’s Degree in Adult Education from the University of New Brunswick. He is very involved in his community and has donated his time and expertise to many social agencies including, United Way (past President), Greater Fredericton Social Innovation (founding member) and Leadership Fredericton (past President), and is a past member of Rotary International.

Eric is an avid runner: he has competed in the Boston marathon and is a member of the Capital City Road Runners. Other athletic pursuits include mountain biking and kayaking. He is a dedicated user of both land and water trails, and fully understands and appreciates their importance in creating opportunities for healthy active living for communities.

Eric lives in Fredericton with Dr. Gabriela Tymowski and their two dogs Tess and Robbie who also enjoy the beautiful Maritime trails. He has three adult children who share his love for outdoor activities, as well as a great appreciation for music. Eric has been a long-time volunteer stage manager with the Fredericton Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival. He is a strong supporter of arts and cultural events, and the local public libraries.

Mr. Gionet joined the Trans Canada Trail in 2011.

Betty Anne Graves graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Art from the University of Alberta in 1963, and then taught school in Calgary. From 1974 to 1997 she was co-owner of The Croft, a business specializing in Canadian crafts, and maintained a studio as a production potter..

Betty Anne has been involved with the Trans Canada Trail in various roles since attending the founding conference of the TCT in Banff in 1994. She was the Alberta representative on the Trans Canada Trail Builders Committee from 1996 to 2000 and was on the Board of Alberta TrailNet from 1996 to 2009, serving as president in 2005. She has been part of numerous trail building, promotion, celebration and fundraising projects in Alberta. She coordinated the construction and opening ceremony of the Calgary TCT Pavilion in April 1997 with Bill Pratt, construction supervisor, and Bill Milne, pavilion architect, and has planned other events at this pavilion.

Betty Anne has hiked, cycled, kayaked and cross-country skied in many parts of Canada, from Ellesmere Island, Haida Gwaii, and the Rockies to Quebec and Newfoundland. She has done many cycling trips in other parts of the world and has participated in long distance ski races in Europe.

Betty Anne and her husband Don have two married children and seven grandchildren.

Ms. Graves joined the Trans Canada Trail in 2009.

Ron Hicks served as Deputy Minister of Executive Council in the Alberta Government from 2004 to 2008. He was Secretary to Cabinet, Clerk of the Executive Council and Head of the Alberta Public Service. His responsibilities included assisting the government in setting and achieving its priorities, ensuring effective policy coordination and plan implementation across government ministries, and providing leadership to the public service.

Mr. Hicks holds a B.Sc. in Engineering from the University of Guelph and a Masters in Public Management from the University of Alberta. He began his career with a private sector consulting engineering firm in southwestern Ontario. He worked for the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources before joining the Alberta Government with Alberta Environment in 1980. Prior to being appointed Deputy Minister of Executive Council, he served as Deputy Minister of Alberta Intergovernmental and Aboriginal Affairs, Alberta Human Resources and Employment, and Alberta Environment. Following retirement from the Alberta Government in 2008, Mr. Hicks joined the University of Alberta’s School of Business as an Executive Professor from 2009 to 2012.

His past volunteer commitments include serving as a board member and president of the international Soil and Water Conservation Society, and duties as a coach for local youth hockey and soccer leagues.

Mr. Hicks received the Alberta Institute of Public Administration’s Lieutenant Governor’s Award for excellence in public administration in 2008 and the Public Policy Forum’s Peter Lougheed Award for leadership in Public Policy in 2010.

Mr. Hicks is an avid sportsman. He and his wife, Marvel, have two married children and three grandchildren.

Mr. Hicks joined the Trans Canada Trail in 2009.

Alan MacDonald is a partner with Richardson GMP Ltd., Canada’s largest independent investment dealer. His education includes a B.A. from Queens University in English literature, the Chartered Financial Analyst designation, and the Chartered Financial Planner designation.

In 1984, Alan joined Eaton Bay financial services, built a clientele of investment clients and managed one of the Ottawa offices. In 1990, he joined Royal Trust as the regional manager of Trust and Advisory sales. From 1996 to the present Alan has worked with high net worth individuals to help them articulate their goals and efficiently structure their portfolios.

Alan is heavily involved in the community. He was a volunteer with Citizen Advocacy for 10 years. Citizen Advocacy seeks to reduce the isolation and vulnerability of mentally and physically disabled adults in their local communities. Alan worked one on one with a developmentally handicapped adult for the entire 10-year period. He has coached high school basketball for the past three years, volunteering his time and expertise in schools where teams do not have access to coaches. He has also coached club and house teams for many years. Alan currently sits on the advisory board of the Ottawa United Way.

Alan’s interests include athletics, and athletic activity remains an ongoing passion. Over the course of the last 30 years Alan has competed in a number of triathlons, marathons, road, trail, and mountain bikes events and races. These days Alan’s primary sports are cycling (road, trail and mountain), as well as cross country skiing (both skate and classic).

Mr. MacDonald is an author and has written a number of articles; primarily on the topic of personal finance. He is the co-author of the book “The Copperjar System, Your Blueprint for Financial Fitness” – a guide and program that empowers individuals to take effective control of their finances.

Alan lives in Ottawa with his wife Cathy and their two children.

Mr. MacDonald joined the Trans Canada Trail in 2011.

Ruth Marr has over 20 years of senior consulting experience. As the founder of Randonnée and its President for 15 years, Ms. Marr, now President of Marr Consulting International Ltd., does not just talk the theory of tourism – she acts on the reality of travel. Through her various consulting practices, Ruth has earned her living not only through environmental and active transportation consulting and public consultation, but especially in making good business decisions about tourism potential, the business of tourism, and in understanding a changing market. Hands-on, practical experience in the travel industry combines with eclectic and innovative experience in managing complex projects involving a variety of stakeholders. Ruth is well experienced in applying rigorous study principles to fully evaluate the opportunities, constraints and especially the consequences of decisions.

Among her many accomplishments, Ms. Marr has worked with the City of Winnipeg on its Active Transportation Infrastructure Stimulus Program in building 100 kilometres of walking and cycling facilities; developed a toolkit for tourism operators (“Green Your Business”), and founded North America’s leading company dedicated to active, self-guided vacations in Europe and North America (Randonnée tours and Randonnée Adventure Travel Ltd.). She has extensive experience in trail and tourism consulting projects.

Ms. Marr’s volunteer involvement is extensive, having most recently served as President of the Manitoba Recreational Trail Association. She is currently the Chair of “The Great Get Off Your Butt & Ski Event”, and a member of the Canadian Sustainable Tourism Advisory Council and the Territorial and Provincial Advisory Council of the Trans Canada Trail. Past Board involvement included membership in the Canadian Trails Federation, the Cross-Country Ski Association of Manitoba, the Travel Manitoba Outdoor Tourism Industry Advisory Committee, the Travel Manitoba Rural Regional Tourism Task Force and the Canadian Tourism Commission’s national subcommittee on outdoor tourism.

She has also published two books, the Manitoba Outdoor Adventure Guide: Cycling and the Manitoba Walking and Hiking Guide.

Ms. Marr joined the TCTCO Board in 2011.

Rick Morgan obtained degrees from McGill and Concordia Universities and pursued graduate studies at the University of Oregon. His early career experience included administration and teaching at McGill. He later held sales and marketing management positions with IBM Canada and other high technology firms.

Mr. Morgan joined The Caldwell Partners International as a full Partner to help open their Ottawa practice and later established the Odgers (Ray) & Berndtson office in Ottawa, as one of their original founding Partners, conducting senior executive searches throughout Canada.

He now owns Morgan Leadership Search, a boutique executive search firm specializing in not-for-profit, association and higher education searches across Canada and internationally.

Rick was chair of the Board of The Vision Awards, and a Member of the Board of Directors of the Ottawa Human Resources Professionals, among other not-for-profit directorships. Mr. Morgan is very involved in adventure travel world-wide and is an active and frequent user of the Trail.

Mr. Morgan joined the Trans Canada Trail Board in 2008.

Claire Morris spent 28 years in the public service of New Brunswick, leaving her position as Secretary to Cabinet in December of 1998 to join the Government of Canada where she first served as Deputy Minister of HRDC and subsequently Intergovernmental Affairs until the spring of 2004. She was appointed President and CEO of the Association of Universities and Colleges at that time and retired from full time employment in the spring of 2009.

Claire currently serves on the Board of Governors of St. Thomas University in Fredericton, and on the Board of Directors of several non-profit organizations: the Research Institute of the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) and ACTUA, Canada’s leading science, engineering and technology youth outreach network. She is a member of the Auditor General’s Senior Advisory Panel and the Vanier/Banting Selection Committee, and was recently appointed Chair of the Advisory Board of the New Brunswick Social Policy Research Network.

Claire is a fluently bilingual native of Ottawa where she currently resides with her husband, John.

Ms. Morris joined the Trans Canada Trail Board in 2008.

Andrew Parsons was born in England and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants (England and Wales). He joined Price Waterhouse in January 1974 as a senior in the Montreal office and rose to the position of senior audit manager. He joined Claridge (the Bronfman Family management company) in May 1981 as controller, becoming Vice President, Finance and later, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Andrew retired on July 31, 2004.

He is engaged in a number of philanthropic activities benefiting the Montreal Children’s Hospital and athletic groups.

Andrew is married and has two children.

Mr. Parsons joined the Trans Canada Trail Board in 2007.

Mia Pearson has more than two decades of experience in creating and growing award-winning communications agencies. She is currently Co-Founder of North Strategic, an integrated communications company focused on fusing social and traditional PR. Mia is responsible for driving growth and fostering the overarching vision for the Canadian market. In 2010, in her role as then President of Fleishman-Hillard Canada and its sister company, High Road Communications, Ms. Pearson saw Fleishman-Hillard receive a Best Place to Work Award, and one of High Road’s employees was named the Industry’s Most Creative Canadian. High Road was listed as one of ten of Canada’s most creative agencies, the first time a public relations firm was included on the list. The same year, Ms. Pearson was named one of Canada’s Top 100 most powerful women by the Women’s Executive Network.

In 1996, she co-founded High Road Communications, one of Canada’s leading public relations agencies, which she sold to Fleishman-Hillard in 2000. In January 2008, Ms. Pearson took on her new role as president of the Canada region. Her knowledge and expertise encompass many practice areas, including consumer, marketing, financial, technology and lifestyle. She works in partnership with her clients to develop integrated communications and marketing programs that get noticed in highly competitive and crowded markets.

Ms. Pearson currently serves on the advisory board Marketing magazine, as well as the board of the Canadian Advanced Technology Association (CATA). She is a member of both CPRS and IABC.

Ms. Pearson is an active participant in the Rotman School of Business Judy Project, and she presents regularly on the topic of advancing women in business, and the importance of personal branding.

A mother of two and an avid outdoor sports enthusiast, she is passionate about the environment and creating a sustainable future for her children. She loves spending time at her cottage and snowboarding with her family.

Ms. Pearson joined the TCTCO Board in 2011.

Serge Rancourt’s working life has been spent in advertising and communications. His calling has taken him around the globe and provided him with the privilege to work on and contribute to some of the world’s most recognized and regarded brands. Today, as principal of doug&serge, a mid-size advertising agency in Toronto, Mr. Rancourt focuses his effort in helping build competitive advantages for its clients through creativity. Prior to owning his own agency, Mr. Rancourt was President of Publicis Canada for 10 years and Managing Director of Young & Rubicam in Canada, and then Germany.

Mr. Rancourt sits on the Board of Directors of NABS (National Advertising Benevolent Society) and is an Ambassador of his Alma Mater, Sherbrooke University.

Mr. Rancourt joined the Trans Canada Trail Board in 2007.

Cameron Clark enjoyed a 32-year career in the Ontario Public Service (OPS) focusing primarily on land use and natural resource planning and management, regional economic development, and aboriginal issues. Throughout his career, he held a number of senior positions in the OPS including: Deputy Minister, Ontario Ministry of Northern Development and Mines; Assistant Deputy Minister, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources; Regional Director Northwest Region, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources; and Chief Provincial Negotiator, Mississauga #8 Land Claim with the Ontario Native Affairs Secretariat.

He has lived and worked throughout Northern Ontario, including stops in Sault Ste Marie, Sudbury, Wawa and Thunder Bay. He is presently retired and living in Thunder Bay, although he does some consulting (English River Consulting Inc.) and is actively engaged as a director of a number of boards, including Lakehead University (Chair), the Trans Canada Trail and the Quetico Foundation.

Cameron and his wife Janet have two daughters, are avid canoeists, cross country skiers and natural history buffs, and enjoy as much time as they can at their camp near English River.

Mr. Clark joined the Trans Canada Trail Board in 2006.

Ken Killin CPA, CA brings more than 25 years of financial, management, executive and strategic advisory experience achieved with several private and public companies in various industries.

Mr. Killin is a member of the CICA Accounting Standards Board's Task Force on Business Combinations, and has served as the Chairman of the Dean's Advisory Board, Ted Rogers School of Management/Ryerson University for the past 10 years.

Mr. Killin joined the TCT Foundation Board in 2012 and serves as its Treasurer.

Valerie Pringle is one of Canada's best known and most respected broadcasters. She started her career at age 19 as a student reporter with CFRB Radio in Toronto after graduating from Radio and Television Arts at Ryerson in 1974.

In 1985, she helped launch the highly successful CBC-TV news and current affairs program, MIDDAY. She moved to CTV in 1993 as co-host of Canada-AM. In addition, Mrs. Pringle co-hosted the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics and W-5 from 1996-1999. Since leaving Canada-AM in July 2001, Mrs. Pringle co-produced, co-wrote and hosted a documentary called “After the Fall” for Discovery Channel about the clean up of the World Trade Center, which was sold around the world. She has completed 33 episodes of her Travel Series "Valerie Pringle Has Left the Building" for CTV, two seasons of "Test of Faith" for Vision-TV and four seasons of “The Canadian Antiques Road Show” for CBC-TV.

Mrs. Pringle is actively involved in many charitable organizations, and is the Past Chair of the Trans Canada Trail. She is married and has three children. She is a Member of the Order of Canada.

Mrs. Pringle joined the Trans Canada Trail Board in 2002 and served until 2010. She is currently in her first year as a member of the TCTF Board, which she co-chairs with Hartley Richardson. Mrs. Pringle is an ex officio member of the TCT Charitable Organization Board.

Valerie Pringle is one of Canada's best known and most respected broadcasters. She started her career at age 19 as a student reporter with CFRB Radio in Toronto after graduating from Radio and Television Arts at Ryerson in 1974.

In 1985, she helped launch the highly successful CBC-TV news and current affairs program, MIDDAY. She moved to CTV in 1993 as co-host of Canada-AM. In addition, Mrs. Pringle co-hosted the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics and W-5 from 1996-1999. Since leaving Canada-AM in July 2001, Mrs. Pringle co-produced, co-wrote and hosted a documentary called “After the Fall” for Discovery Channel about the clean up of the World Trade Center, which was sold around the world. She has completed 33 episodes of her Travel Series "Valerie Pringle Has Left the Building" for CTV, two seasons of "Test of Faith" for Vision-TV and four seasons of “The Canadian Antiques Road Show” for CBC-TV.

Mrs. Pringle is actively involved in many charitable organizations, and is the Past Chair of the Trans Canada Trail. She is married and has three children. She is a Member of the Order of Canada.

Mrs. Pringle joined the Trans Canada Trail Board in 2002 and served until 2010. She is currently in her first year as a member of the TCTF Board, which she co-chairs with Hartley Richardson. Mrs. Pringle is an ex officio member of the TCT Charitable Organization Board.

Hartley Richardson is the President and Chief Executive Officer of James Richardson & Sons, Limited, a private, family-owned corporation, founded in 1857 and headquartered in Winnipeg. The company has interests in agriculture and food processing under its subsidiary Richardson International Limited; financial services under Richardson GMP Limited and Richardson Capital Limited; real estate ownership and management under Richardson Centre Limited; and oil and gas development under Tundra Oil and Gas Limited.

Mr. Richardson serves as a Director of GMP Capital Inc., Canadian Pacific Railway Limited and Zalicus Inc. He is Chairman of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives, chairman of the Board of Governors for The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Charter for Business, and Past-Chairman of the Business Council of Manitoba. Other affiliations include the World Economic Forum Global Leaders of Tomorrow and the Young President’s Organization. He is also actively involved in a number of charitable endeavours and community organizations. The University of Manitoba conferred upon Mr. Richardson the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws in 2004. Mr. Richardson was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2007 and to the Order of Manitoba in 2008.

Mr. Richardson joined the Trans Canada Trail Board in 2008 and is currently in his first year as a member of the TCTF Board, which he co-chairs with Valerie Pringle.

David Aisenstat was born into the restaurant business. His father, Hy Aisenstat, was one of the giants of the Canadian restaurant industry and founder of the famous Hy’s Steakhouse chain. After graduating from university, David joined Nabisco Brands, moving quickly through the corporate ranks in Montreal, Toronto and New York. In 1981, David returned to Canada as vice-president of Hy’s.

His contributions to the company were recognized by his appointment first to Executive Vice-President, and then to President of Hy’s in 1988. During his time at Hy’s, David also played an active role on both the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee of Keg Restaurants Ltd. This involvement continued until the sale of Keg Restaurants Ltd. to Whitbread PLC, a large British brewing and hospitality conglomerate, in 1987. Ten years later, and armed with a lifetime of knowledge in the steakhouse market, David seized the opportunity to purchase The Keg Steakhouse & Bar chain from Whitbread in 1997. David believes that the legacy and enthusiastic spirit embodied in the organization has been a core business value since close friend and mentor, George Tidball, founded the restaurant chain in 1971. That spirit has led David to launch the Keg Spirit Foundation, a charitable organization, which focuses on causes that benefit children and young people.

Mr. Aisenstat joined the TCTF Board in 2011.

David Cottingham is the Vice-President of PineBridge Investments Canada (formerly AIG Global Investments Canada), a position he has held since 1996. Mr. Cottingham’s expertise lies in the development of strategic relationships and targeted market strategies for the retention and growth of business for PineBridge clients and has been recognized as one of the top ten performers world-wide, raising over $1 billion in private and equity assets.

Prior to his involvement with PineBridge Investments, Mr. Cottingham was the National Director of the Pension Sales and Marketing Department at METLIFE, where he successfully introduced new multimanaged investment products and restructured the sales force resulting in an optimization of efficiencies and results.

Mr. Cottingham has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Queens University and is a Fellow of the Canadian Securities Institute.

Originally from Montreal, Mr. Cottingham has lived in Toronto since 1980. He is married to Kathy and has four boys, two currently studying at McGill, one studying at Queens and one at home. He has been involved with the St. Michaels Hospital Foundation for a number of years, and has assisted with its fundraising, through an annual golf tournament.

Mr. Cottingham joined the TCTF Board in 2011.

Anthony Graham began a career in the investment industry after attending the University of Western Ontario. For more than 20 years, he was a senior partner and major shareholder of National Bank Financial, formerly known as Levesque Beaubien Geoffrion Inc., one of Canada’s largest fully integrated investment dealers. During this time he served as a governor of both the Toronto Stock Exchange and the Canadian Securities Institute.

In 2000, Mr. Graham became president of Wittington Investments, Limited. Wittington is the principal holding company of the Weston-Loblaws Group, which conducts food processing and distribution throughout North America. Wittington is also involved in the luxury retail sector through its ownership of Selfridges in the United Kingdom, De Bijenkorf in the Netherlands, Holt Renfrew in Canada, and Brown Thomas stores in Ireland. Mr. Graham is also President, CEO and a Director of Sumarria Inc., a family owned investment holding company and the largest shareholder of Graymont Limited. Graymont is a private company owned by members of the extended Graham Family and senior management. Graymont’s wholly owned subsidiaries have production and distribution facilities for chemical lime, stone and precipitated calcium carbonate from coast to coast in both Canada and the United States. Graymont also has a significant investment in Grupo Calidra, S.A. De C.V., the largest lime producer in Mexico.

He also serves as a Director of several corporations including George Weston Limited, Loblaw Companies Limited, Power Corporation of Canada, Power Financial Corporation, Selfridges & Co. Ltd., De Bijenkorf B.V., Holt Renfrew & Co. Limited, Brown Thomas & Co. Limited, and Victoria Square Ventures Inc. He is also a member of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives and the World Presidents’ Organization.

He has also been very active in the community: Past Chairman of the Shaw Festival and Branksome Hall School and current Chairman of each of their Foundations. He is currently a Board member of the Council of Business and the Arts in Canada, the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, St. Michael’s Hospital, Ontario Arts Foundation and Luminato. He is also the Honorary Colonel of the Royal Regiment of Canada. In 1995 he was recognized by The Financial Post as one of “Canada’s Top 40 Under 40” and in 1998 he was awarded with the Government of Ontario Volunteer Service Award. In June 2007, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Laws Degree from Brock University.

Mr. Graham joined the TCTF Board in 2011.

David Hoffman is Co-CEO of the Oxford Group of Companies based in Nova Scotia, involved in the farming, food processing, communications sectors and other diverse businesses. Mr. Hoffman is involved in a variety of business and community organizations, including the Nova Scotia Community College, and chairs the Wild Blueberry Association of North America.

Mr. Hoffman had six years of service on the Trans Canada Trail Board, and is currently in his first year as a member of the TCTF Board.

Pierre Lassonde, philanthropist and talented businessman, is recognized as one of Canada’s foremost experts in the area of mining and precious metals. In 1980, Pierre began ten years as President of the gold division of Beutel, Goodman & Company, directing its highly successful gold investment fund. Pierre co-founded Franco-Nevada Mining Corporation in 1982 and over a 20-year period, provided shareholders with a 36% annualized rate of return. He became post-merger President of Newmont Mining Corporation – the world’s largest gold producer – in 2002. In 2008 Pierre led a group of investors in bringing back Franco-Nevada to the public market and became its Chairman.

Graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Séminaire de St-Hyacinthe of the University of Montreal in 1967, he went on to study electrical engineering from Ecole Polytechnique, where he received his Bachelor of Science in 1971. He graduated with a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Utah in 1973 and was designated a Professional Engineer by the Association of Professional Engineers of Ontario in 1976. Mr. Lassonde earned the qualification of Chartered Financial Analyst from the University of Virginia in 1984. He has been conferred with several Honorary Doctor degrees from the University of Toronto (2001), University of Montreal (2002), University of Utah (2006) and Ryerson University (2006).

In addition to his support of the Lassonde Mineral Engineering Program and the Lassonde Institute at the University of Toronto, his philanthropic activities have included the funding of academic buildings at the Ecole Polytechnique, establishing the Lassonde New Venture Development Center at the University of Utah and serving as Chairman of the Quebec National Art Museum. In 2003, Pierre was awarded membership in the Order of Canada. With over 25 years of experience in the mining and investment business, Pierre is one of Canada’s leading gold analysts and is the author of The Gold Book, The Complete Investment Guide to Precious Metals.

Mr. Lassonde joined the TCTF Board in 2011.

Bruce Simpson is a Director of McKinsey and Company, a global management consulting firm, where he has worked since 1987, first in New York, then in Paris, France. With his wife Tracy and sons, Fraser, Elliott and Adair, he came to Toronto in 2000 to lead McKinsey’s Canadian Practice. McKinsey works with many of Canada’s leading institutions – providing skills and expertise for them to thrive in today’s competitive marketplace. Prior to McKinsey, Mr. Simpson worked with Procter and Gamble, and before that, was a professional ski racer.

Mr. Simpson is from Scotland, son of explorer parents, and spent part of his childhood living in Greenland, Cornwallis Island and Devon Island in the Canadian Arctic, and the jungle in Surinam. He graduated from Cambridge University with a Masters Degree in International Law, and from Wharton Business School with an MBA and a Masters Degree in International Studies. He is a Trustee of the Hospital for Sick Children, a Board member of the Canadian arm of Catalyst, and a non-executive member of the Board of Street Kids International. He recently joined the Toronto Committee of Human Rights Watch.

Mr. Simpson joined the Trans Canada Trail Board in 2007 and is currently in his first year as a member of the TCTF Board.

Paul LaBarge is one of the original members of the Trans Canada Trail (TCT) as a legacy project of Canada 125, of which he was the corporate secretary. Paul has a long history with TCT, having been a board member, counsel and secretary to the organization. Paul is an active volunteer in a number of organizations in addition to a busy law practice, but is particularly dedicated to the Trail, about which he is a passionate advocate.

Paul is a founding member of LaBarge Weinstein, a business law firm located in Ottawa, with a concentration in taxation and corporate law. Paul is a member of the Section 19 NAFTA dispute resolution panel. Paul holds a Master’s Degree in law from Osgoode Hall and is a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada (Ontario) and Alberta. Paul is also the co-author of ‘The Copperjar System’, a book and workbook on personal financial planning.

Paul has been and continues to be heavily involved in the community and currently dedicates his time to a number of foundations in addition to the Trans Canada Trail, among them the Canadiana Foundation, the Ottawa Heart Institute Foundation, and the Community Foundations of Canada. A strong supporter of life long learning, he completed an LLM in 2009 and has recently co-authored a book on personal financial management.

Mr. LaBarge joined the Trans Canada Trail in 1995 and took on the role of Chair in 2011.