To introduce our webinar series, Diversity Matters: Driving Change in Newfoundland and Labrador Politics, we have asked leaders, community members, and politicians to reflect on diversity in politics, and why it is essential. Please join us as we introduce our “Community Leaders’ over the next couples of weeks!
Today, we would like to introduce Lela Evans, the MHA for Torngat Mountains. When we asked Lela why diversity matters in politics, she offered “As a politician, I bel...ieve it is very important to ensure that marginalized voices are not excluded in the decision making process. I am a woman, queer, and indigenous. I know what it is to be excluded. I know what it is like to have to work harder than others without the luxury of making a mistake. Diversity in 2020 still means ‘different’, and ‘different’ is still marginalized.”
Lela Margaret Ann Evans (B.Sc. Hons.) was born and raised in Makkovik, Labrador. She was elected to the House of Assembly as the Member for Torngat Mountains on May 16, 2019. Prior to becoming a MHA, Lela graduated from Memorial University with a Bachelor of Science Honours degree. She has spent the previous 20 years in the construction, exploration, and mining industries working in the fields of environment, health, and safety.
Lela has always been very active in supporting and preserving her Inuit culture and knowledge, serving for many years as a member of the board of directors of the St. John’s Native Friendship Centre (now First Light) and working in a liaison role between Memorial University and the Labrador Inuit Association (now Nunatsiavut Government). More recently Lela served as the Chairperson of the Inuit Advisory Committee at the Vale NL Vosiey’s Bay site.
Lela has also played a strong leadership role in promoting environmental stewardship and workplace safety. During the construction phase of the Vosiey’s Bay Nickel mine project, in addition to her regular work duties, she served as the direct liaison between the company and the Voisey’s Bay Environmental Management Board, consisting of Innu and Inuit leaders and government regulators. Later, Lela served as a part of a team conducting community consultations on the Uranium mining moratorium in northern Labrador. Lela was also a founding member of the board of directors of Restoration of Labrador Exploration Sites (ROLES) Inc. with a mandate to clean up abandoned mining exploration sites in Labrador.
REGISTER NOW – Why Diversity Matters in Politics: https://bit.ly/2Z94gTd
REGISTER NOW – Running for Political Office 101: https://bit.ly/2F3nvGE
Lela Evans - Torngat Mountains - MHA City of Mount Pearl
