Officer of the Order of Canada
Awarded on: 2017-05-11
Invested on: 2017-06-19
Sylvia Maracle, O.C.
Toronto, Ontario
Sylvia Maracle has been a leader in shaping the urban Indigenous experience in Canada. As the Executive Director of the Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres, she transformed the organization from a handful of reception centres for migrating Indigenous peoples into over two dozen culturally-grounded centres of community building. An in-demand consultant, speaker, social activist and cultural-based practitioner, she is actively involved in diverse initiatives supporting the well-being of Indigenous peoples across Canada.