Upcoming Meetings

Rochelle Ivri
Canadian Citizenship Judge
Manager of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, Mohawk College

Judge Rochelle Ivri is 1 of 8 Citizenship Judges in Canada and is currently assigned to the Greater Ontario Area which includes Hamilton, Niagara, Kitchener, Windsor and London. She is the Manager of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at Mohawk College after having served as 9 years as faculty in the paralegal program. She is also an adjunct professor at Queen’s University Law School, and co-author of Tribunal Practice and Procedure (Emond Publishing). Rochelle has a degree in Criminology from the University of Windsor, and a post-graduate certificate in Alternative Dispute Resolution from York University.

Rochelle served as a board member on the Niagara-on-the-Lake Public Library Board for 8 years and was a publicly appointed member of the Council of the College of Midwives of Ontario, where she also served for 8 years, 2 of which involved being on the Executive Board. Additionally, Rochelle was a member of the Discipline, Appeal, and Review Committee of the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council (now the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants).

Judge Ivri is deeply committed to community engagement and involvement, serving on various boards and committees in the past and present, while continuing to lend her knowledge and expertise to advance the needs of the community. She was awarded a Woman Who Rocks Award for Hamilton in 2019 and, in 2020 she was awarded the Leading Women, Leading Girls, Building Community Award for her work in Kitchener Centre. In 2021, Judge Ivri received the Lincoln Alexander Award from the Law Society of Ontario making her the first ever paralegal to receive this recognition in the awards’ nearly 20-year history. In 2022, Judge Ivri was named one of 100 Accomplished Black Canadian Women for 2022, she was given the Rev. John C. Holland Award of Merit by the Hamilton Black History Council and was also recognized as one of Canada's Top 100 Black Women to Watch of 2022 by CIBWE. Last November, Judge Ivri was the recipient of the Community Impact Award from the Women in Niagara Council of the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce and most recently was named one of the 100 Most Influential Black Canadians for 2023-2024 by AfroGlobal Television.

She is passionate about human rights, the Charter, and encouraging active citizenship and civic engagement to make communities thrive. She and her husband, Eldean, have 4 children.

Darren Platakis
BSc, GIS(PG), FRCGS
Founder & Executive Director, Geospatial Niagara

Darren Platakis is a graduate of Brock University (2010) and Niagara College (2011), is a member of the College of Fellows of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, and a member of the Canadian Association of Geographers. Since 2013 his educational non-profit, Geospatial Niagara has been dedicated to educational opportunities that foster economic prosperity through community minded projects. Geospatial Niagara promotes geo-literacy and community participation through geography, having engaged thousands of students. Darren is passionate about geography, the geospatial industry, and understands the immense potential available through the unique and fascinating geographical and cultural characteristics of the Niagara region. Darren is a board member, founder and Chair Emeritus of the Niagara Geopark. He considers himself a “spatial creative” and “aspiration consultant”

Education in Global Geoparks transcends textbooks. It is about sparking curiosity, igniting wonder, fostering stewardship, and weaving geological threads into the fabric of our lives and communities. The Niagara Geopark is more than amazing landscapes. It is a living classroom where we see 450 million years of earth’s geological history before our eyes. This talk will guide you through the beginnings of Geospatial Niagara and the discovery of UNESCO Global Geoparks.

Lousje Oort | Tessa Oort

Combining fresh style and essential comfort, Lousje & Bean is the realization of the shared dream of mother-daughter duo Lous and Tessa Oort.  Influenced by European style and sensibility, the pair is creating innovative and youthful pieces for women of all ages- Lousje & Bean is style that spans generations.

Lousje:

Lous brings a wealth of design and retail experience to Lousje & Bean. Born and raised in Amsterdam, Lous moved to Canada in 1969. Once settled in Ontario Lous created her own label, Pierrot, and opened a women’s boutique in Port Dalhousie. In time and with a growing family, Lous chose to be at home with her four children and closed the store. In her spare time, she worked as a freelance designer for local theater companies.

Tessa:

Inheriting her mother’s passion and skill, Tessa started designing and wearing her own clothes as a teenager. While people would often ask her to re-create her pieces, it was not until she moved to Holland that she realized that fashion design would be her future. Inspired by the confidence embodied in European clothing trends, she returned to Canada and enrolled in the renowned Fashion Techniques and Design program at George Brown College in Toronto.  Following her graduation Tessa continued to pursue her dream.  Combining their style sense, vision and drive the mother and daughter team launched Lousje & Bean in January of 2006.

18 Years later, the two continue to work out of their Lousje & Bean Boutique/Studio located on Welland Ave. in St. Catharines. ON.  This unique space features their Collection, which is produced in small exclusive batches- sketched, cut and stitched entirely in Ontario. And features an array of distinctive North American & European made accessories and clothing to complement their unique Designs.

Edward Spera
Wildlife Artist of the Year 2024
Canada Prestige Awards

The last time Edward Spera attended an art class was in eighth grade at 13 years old. It was eleven years later that he started to paint in earnest. After watching a documentary about wolves on TV, inspiration struck, and he found some old art supplies in the back of a closet, setting to work on what would be the first piece of a prolific career that has spanned years and continents.

​It is no coincidence that Edward’s first piece was wildlife related. In his younger years, wildlife TV programs and documentaries captivated him. While on family trips in Northern Ontario, walking through the woods, or even in his own backyard, Edward always enjoyed watching wildlife. This hasn’t changed; however, his travels have extended beyond the local, and are now global.

There is a spirit or essence to an animal that you see in the wild that is just not there with a captive animal. There is a spark in the way an animal navigates the world on its own terms; whether it is searching for food, caring for young, or interacting with other animals, they are always existing with a purpose in the wild. The shape, posture, and muscle tone of an animal is very different in the wild when compared to their lethargic captive counterparts. Every line, curve and marking is representative of an individual animal’s history. Nature truly created something beautiful in the processes that have given way to the flora and fauna of the world, and Edward tries to mimic that beauty with each brushstroke.

​When people see Edward’s work for the first time, one of the most common elements they bring up is the eyes. For Edward, the eyes can give a false sense of completion with a piece, which is why he leaves them for last. Conventional wisdom states that an artist should start with the eyes, since they are a focal point. Edward leaves the eyes for last, so as he works on it the painting never feels quite complete; potentially one hair or one whisker away from completion, concerned that he will shortchange the detail that he is known for. Once a piece is complete, he never goes back to it. With his attention to detail, the potential for him to spend years on a piece getting every element “perfect” is not outside of the realm of possibility.

Edward will share his travel adventures related to his art work.