Former members of the Youth Advisory Council

Donia Arfaoui is studying Business Administration at HEC Montréal. She has been involved with various community organizations for many years. She represented the Forum Jeunesse de Saint-Michel at the public consultations of the Office de consultation publique de Montréal's Commission on Systemic Racism and Discrimination. Donia also participated in the National Poverty Conference in Ottawa in 2017, where she presented her ideas on reducing poverty in Canada. She is also a refugee rights ambassador for the United Nations Refugee Agency and the Forum Jeunesse de Saint-Michel.

Kaitlin Bird is a Nîhithaw Iskwew who grew up in and currently lives on her home reserve of Montreal Lake Cree Nation. She is studying at the University of Saskatchewan for an Arts and Science degree, with a major in Political Studies. Her Indigenous teachings have encouraged her interest in history and preserving history, especially her own people's history. In her spare time, she enjoys oil painting, reading, gardening and living her culture.

Born and raised in Vaughan, Ontario, Robert DiGiovanni believes in innovative and future-oriented public policy making. He is a fourth-year student at York University, where he studies Political Science and Public Administration. Robert has experience working in the Ontario Public Service, having interned in various ministries over the past three summers. Upon completion of his academic studies, he hopes to pursue a career in the field of public policy. Robert is excited to have the opportunity to join the LAC Youth Advisory Council.

Sarah Ham is a student at Carleton University, majoring in English and History, and minoring in Greek and Roman Studies. It should therefore come as no surprise that they enjoy reading, writing, and engaging with history and literature in various forms. Sarah is also a former member of Ottawa Public Library's Teen Advisory Group (TAG), where they spent four years helping to organize library events from book nights to art competitions.

Holly Johnstone was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta, but now splits her time living between Victoria, British Columbia, and Toronto, Ontario, where she attends school at the University of Toronto. While completing her degree in History and Ethics, Holly actively participates in campus life as a member of student government, a barista at a student-run fair-trade campus café, a registered mentor for first- and second-year students, and a copy editor for a campus newspaper. Holly is passionate about women's social history, grassroots movements, tea, and dogs of all shapes and sizes.

Born and raised in Calgary, Alberta, Matthew Koristka is in his final year at the University of Waterloo in the Knowledge Integration program, with a minor in Anthropology, and continued interests in palliative care, biology and the national honours system. An ardent believer in helping others, he has volunteered with numerous organizations including Calgary Reads, a not-for-profit aimed at sparking an interest in reading in Calgary's kids, and as a White Hat Volunteer at YYC Calgary International Airport. In his spare time, Matthew enjoys travelling, swimming, and spending time with family and friends.

Originally from Minsk, Belarus, Ilona Krasnova immigrated to Canada with her family at the age of three. She is an aspiring librarian and archivist studying Information Resource Management at Carleton University. Ilona finds beauty in logic, and she is driven by her commitment to make sense of the world through championing information organization and accessibility. Ilona has a passion for languages and is fluent in English, French and Russian. In her spare time, she enjoys making textile art for her friends and reading speculative fiction in the company of her two calico cats, Clementine and Soleil.

Born and raised in the lower mainland of British Columbia, Cameron Lamb has always valued nature and the ocean. Following a move to Vancouver Island, he found himself in Ottawa, driven by a passion for human rights and activism. After graduating from Carleton University with a Bachelor of Arts Honours degree in Law and Legal Studies, and a minor in History, Cameron has been working toward attending law school and continues to pursue his activist work. In his spare time, he enjoys playing sports, practicing photography and scoping out the best sushi restaurants.

Ziyang (Zeo) Li is studying for a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at the University of Regina, as well as a Certificate of Non-Profit Organization Management. He works with his team members from the University of Regina Students' Union (URSU) to carry out campaigns and programs that benefit students. With a keen interest in food security for students at the University of Regina, Zeo helped to expand the URSU Cares Pantry and volunteered at the Regina Public Interest Research Group's Green Patch.

Erin MacKinnon is currently the Library Clerk at the Early Years Community Development Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where she is delighted to combine her passions for libraries and children’s media. Erin received a Bachelor of Arts in English from St. Francis Xavier University in 2019 and a Diploma in Library and Information Technology from the Nova Scotia Community College in 2020. She is excited to continue working with LAC and other library loving youth from across the country.

Anna McAllister is currently in the graduating year of her bilingual Joint Honours Bachelor of History and Political Science at the University of Ottawa. During her undergraduate studies, Anna had the privilege of serving as a page in the Senate of Canada for three years. Through her time as a page and her studies in history, Anna developed a passion for contemporary Canadian history and a deep appreciation for the work of archivists and librarians who preserve our country's stories.

Born in northern Alberta, Christopher Richmond-Krahn headed south to pursue a growing interest in English and history. He attained a Bachelor's degree in English from the University of Lethbridge. Christopher wishes to begin working in the non-profit sector one day, as he has a strong desire to help people. He believes that the LAC Youth Advisory Council will be the next step in pursuing that goal because of the previous work that the council has strived to complete. In his spare time, he enjoys cooking, playing video games and spending time in nature.

Shannon Sartor is a fourth-year International Bachelor of Arts student at Memorial University of Newfoundland. She is majoring in both English and French and plans to pursue a Bachelor in Education after completing her undergrad. Aside from her obvious interests, Shannon also enjoys history, exercising, travelling (when safe to do so!) and spending time with animals.

Emily Tang was born in China, but she grew up in Toronto, Ontario, and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. She is currently studying Kinesiology at the University of Saskatchewan. She is passionate about Canadian law, equal access to quality healthcare and destigmatizing mental illness. She is a member of the National Youth Advisory Council with the Mood Disorders Society of Canada, volunteers with non-profits, is a Peer Mentor and the Vice-President of Communications on the Health Sciences Students' Association at USask. Emily is ecstatic to be learning alongside mentors and like-minded youth across Canada!

Born in Montréal, Tiffany Chénier has a bachelor's degree in Honours History from McGill University and is currently pursuing her master's degree in Eastern Canadian History at the University of New Brunswick. Having worked for various archives in Québec, and now the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick, she hopes to utilise her time on the Youth Advisory Council to continue making archives more accessible to the public.

Karmel Gervais is currently pursuing her master's degree in Information Sciences at the University of Ottawa. She is presently an intern at Indigenous Services Canada in the Archives and Genealogy Division. Karmel has a bachelor's degree with a major in History and a minor in Museology and Heritage from the Université du Québec en Outaouais. With a keen interest in history, she sees herself in the future working with historical documents and helping people who wish to further their knowledge. In her free time, Karmel loves to horseback ride, read, listen to music and visit museums.

Born and raised in New Brunswick, Jenna Green stayed in her home province to pursue a Bachelor of Arts at Mount Allison University. With a major in Canadian Studies and a double minor in French and Politics, Jenna hopes to pursue a Master of Information to fulfill her lifelong dream of becoming a librarian. As a public library enthusiast, Jenna is especially interested in Children's and Youth Services, and has recently taken an interest in archives and special collections. Jenna currently works as a Technical Services and Special Collections student assistant at Mount Allison's R.P. Bell Library and is also a Teaching Assistant in the Canadian Studies department.

Erick Pelayo Aubert is a finishing student in Political Science and Development at McGill University, in the traditional territory of the Kanien'kehà:ka. After immigrating to Canada from Mexico, Erick realized the importance of advocacy and works to shed light on issues of immigration, identity and youth. Erick is currently employed by the Canadian Council for Youth Prosperity and wishes to pursue a career in public service to amplify the voices of youth, Latino immigrants, and LGBTQ2+ individuals. In his free time, Erick loves dancing, going out for karaoke, spending quality time with friends, and learning new languages.

Jessica Carrière is completing the second year of her bachelor's degree in History. After graduation, she would like to pursue a master's degree in contemporary European history or Canadian and Quebec history. Jessica is fascinated by our past, and she firmly believes that history allows us to learn more about ourselves as a society. After her studies, she hopes to express her passion for history through teaching.

Sarah Hanahem was born in Quebec and still lives there. She received a bachelor's degree from the Université de Montréal and is completing a certificate in Archival Studies this year. She currently works for a telemedicine company. Sarah is passionate about data protection and copyright issues related to the dissemination of documents and archives in the digital age. She enjoys reading and cross-country skiing in her spare time. She will be starting a master's degree in Information Science at McGill University in fall 2021.

Clare MacDonald is an internal communications advisor at Economic and Social Development Canada, where she serves to support the IT Branch with its broad goal of supporting the Canadian public in times of need with a wide range of programs like Old Age Security, the Canada Pension Plan and the Canadian Emergency Relief Benefit. She hopes to spend her career in and around government and to learn continually from her work.

Prior to her current role, she had the chance to work at Ontario's legislature in a non-partisan political role and to study public policy at the University of Toronto. Before that, she completed her undergraduate studies in McMaster University's Arts and Science program. As a long-time library enthusiast with an ongoing interest in history, Clare looks forward to joining the YAC to learn more about LAC's current priorities, Canadian history, and the changing ways it is being documented and thoughtfully re-examined.

Ashley MacLellan is North Slave Métis and grew up under the aurora in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. She studied English and professional communications in Edmonton, Alberta, and Victoria, British Columbia, before graduating in 2019 and moving to Tk'emlups (better known as Kamloops) in British Columbia to live with her partner Nathan and sweet dog Kron. She now works as an Indigenous Recruiter-Advisor for Thompson Rivers University, is a recently published poet, and enjoys reading Canadian fiction and distance running.

Born in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Jessica Mandziya-Sathoud has a bachelor's degree in Political Science from the Université de Montréal and is completing a master's degree in Public and International Affairs. Author of the book Mes confidences, Jessica is interested in youth and human rights issues. In 2014, she received a special bursary from the mayor of the Sud-Ouest borough of Montréal, Benoît Dorais, recognizing the quality of her academic performance and the diversity of her accomplishments. She wants to give a voice to young and disadvantaged persons, and hopes to practice in this field.

Percephone (Percy) Miller is a graduate student at the Faculty of Information, University of Toronto. She is nearing the end of the Master of Information program, with concentrations in Library and Information Science, and Archives and Records Management. She enjoys reading, learning about design (universal, user experience, invisible) and creating zines. Percy hopes to bring both personal experience and theoretical frameworks to inform her work on the LAC Youth Council.

Tyler Owens is a former history student and a public servant in Ottawa. He has been on the LAC Youth Advisory Council for two years, during which time he has found LAC to be an exciting and dynamic department.

Born and raised in Montréal, Quebec, Caroline Parent-Harvey recently graduated from McGill University's Faculty of Law with undergraduate degrees in Civil and Common Law (B.C.L./J.D.). She has always enjoyed giving back to her community, whether it be by volunteering at the Legal Information Clinic at McGill or by coaching youth hockey in her neighbourhood. She is currently studying for the Quebec Bar exam and is excited to subsequently start her career in law.

Hailing from British Columbia, Cameron Lamb is currently in Ottawa to pursue an undergraduate degree in law and legal studies at Carleton University. Driven by a passion for human rights and activism, he hopes that his degree will allow him to further his activist work in the legal sphere. In his spare time, Cameron enjoys playing sports, doing photography, and spending time with friends.

Gabrielle Lauzon Lalonde is a young woman committed to changing intercultural relations in Canada. This proud Franco-Ontarian is the author of two novels. She has been working with Indigenous people in the Ottawa-Gatineau region for almost two years and strives to provide as much assistance as possible to her community, especially to the Elders. Now that she has earned a university degree in dispute resolution, her goal is to provide a voice to First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities in Canada within the context of ongoing and future negotiations.

Born and raised in Ottawa, Alexandre Malbœuf believes in making Canada a better place through civic engagement. In addition to his role on the LAC Youth Advisory Council, he is a member of the Government of Canada Workplace Charitable Campaign's Youth Council and an ambassador for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ottawa. Alexandre holds an honours bachelor's degree in social science with a specialization in political science from the University of Ottawa and currently works as a policy analyst in Health Canada's Controlled Substances and Cannabis Branch.

Alexandra McGill is originally from Toronto, but moved to Ottawa in 2015 for school. She has just completed a bachelor's degree in history and political science at the University of Ottawa and is looking to go on to do a master's degree in museum studies. Her main areas of interest are social history and genealogy. She spent three co-op terms in the Department of National Defence's Casualty Identification Program. In her free time, Alex likes to read and play video games. She also enjoys horseback riding and figure skating.

Bailee Pegden is a videographer with the federal government. Her video skills come from a bachelor of journalism at Carleton University as well as a keen interest in film and storytelling. She is passionate about the environment, disability awareness, and representation in media, and strives to bring diverse points of view to the Library and Archives Canada (LAC) Youth Advisory Council. Bailee has volunteered with organizations such as the Asian Canadians' Association at Carleton University, The Snowsuit Fund, and the Ottawa Geek Market. In her spare time, she searches for creative outlets for her love of storytelling.

Tyler Owens is a former history student and a public servant in Ottawa. He has been on the LAC Youth Advisory Council for two years, during which time he has found LAC to be an exciting and dynamic department.

Born and raised within the Fransaskois community in Saskatoon, Camille Pélet is a second-year student at the University of Ottawa in the honours bachelor of commerce and juris doctor program. Last year, she had the opportunity to work as a page in the House of Commons. From this opportunity to work at the heart of Canadian democracy, she learned to find passion in issues at every scope. On every topic, from socioeconomics to travelling, she enjoys hearing opinions from many sides. She looks forward to continuing to represent Western Canadian youth on the LAC Youth Advisory Council.

Kristina Reed is a returning member from the inaugural 2018/2019 LAC Youth Advisory Council. She is currently working as an intern in the Public Education Programs Division of the Library of Parliament. Prior to working at the Library, she served as a House of Commons page in her first year of university and subsequently stayed at the House of Commons to work as a proceedings and verification officer with Hansard. Kristina holds an honours bachelor's degree in political science, specializing in North American politics, with a minor in communications studies, from Carleton University. Her interest in being part of the first LAC Youth Advisory Council, and then reapplying as a returning member, stems from her belief that LAC can be a place for everyone, not just for history enthusiasts.

Charmaine Strong is from Calgary, and is pursuing an honours bachelor's degree in public affairs and policy management, specializing in international security and intelligence policy, at Carleton University. She currently works as a proceedings and verification officer with the House of Commons, having previously served as a parliamentary page. In her free time, she is an award-winning debater, having represented Carleton University at the World Universities Debating Championship in Thailand.

A long-time resident of Gatineau, Alexi Thibault-Jutras is a third-year student in History at the University of Ottawa who plans to pursue a master's degree in Library and Information Studies. It should be no surprise that he is driven by a passion for reading and historical research. As a sports and outdoor enthusiast, Alexi enjoys open-air activities in both winter and summer, especially in Gatineau Park. He leads a rather minimalist lifestyle and strongly supports nature conservation.

Originally from Victoria, British Columbia, Heather Townsend completed her undergraduate degree in history at the University of Ottawa and now works for the Government of Canada. She enjoys sharing her enthusiasm for history, heritage and libraries with other council members and staff at each Youth Advisory Council (YAC) meeting. When not attending YAC meetings, Heather enjoys reading, running, and volunteering with the Friends of the Ottawa Public Library Association.

Hannah Whale was born in Alma, Ontario, and is currently completing her fourth year of an undergraduate history degree at Carleton University. She serves as a returning member of the Library and Archives Youth Advisory Council, which she joined to learn more about the many services LAC offers the public. Hannah is looking towards a career in student affairs.

Alisha Wilkinson is a graduate student from Ottawa, who is currently completing a master's in anthropology at the University of Ottawa. She is passionate about promoting environmentalism and sustainable development, and her current research explores the effects of pollution on urban life. In addition to her academic pursuits, Alisha has experience in the public sector, where she worked at Veterans Affairs Canada and Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada, and in the non-profit sector, where she has supported the work of nongovernmental organizations providing shelter, education, and first-line healthcare to marginalized communities around the world.