After 12 years as our Environment Program Director, Andre Vallillee has moved on to become the Executive Director of the Juniper Foundation. Andre was an outstanding director, a treasured colleague, and a valued friend. Filling his role was no small task. After an extensive search, we are pleased to welcome Dr. Jennie Knopp as our new Environment Program Director. Jennie brings a rare blend of academic rigour, deep practical experience, and strong relationships with sector and Indigenous leaders — along with the energy and collaborative instincts we were looking for. She will bring new perspectives and a fresh approach as she leads the continued execution of our 10-year Environment program strategy, and we are excited to see where she takes it.
We are also close to announcing a new area of work for Metcalf. A little over two years ago, we began exploring civil discourse as a potential area of focus — grounded in the belief that much of our work depends on our ability as a society to engage in thoughtful dialogue across policy or partisan differences. When we can do that well, it opens the door to the kind of shared understanding that makes real progress possible. We will have more to say in the coming weeks.
Finally, my travels this quarter took me to Banff for the Canadian Arts Summit. Being there — surrounded by leaders and provocateurs from the Canadian arts community — was a reminder of why this work matters. At Metcalf, much of the current focus in our Performing Arts program is on Arts & Social Finance, a proposed $100 million investment fund that would pair affordable loans to cultural organizations with a robust investment readiness initiative. This is not about replacing grants, which remain essential, but about giving the sector an additional tool to strengthen operations and sustainability. Ultimately, this is our latest effort to do more than fund the sector — it’s an attempt to change the conditions it operates in, so that cultural organizations can continue to meet the cultural needs of Canadians.
A lot is changing, but our core values hold. We remain committed to the work of our grantees, to systems change, and to investing in people, ideas, and actions to build a just, healthy, and creative society. I hope you enjoy this newsletter.
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President and CEO |
