Please join us in congratulating Jason Veltri (Contract Procurement Specialist with the Northern Supply Chain), who was presented with the City of Thunder Bay Outstanding Achievement Award for Community Champion for the month of May. Jason has received this award for his leadership, volunteerism and advocacy for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.

Over the past few years, Jason has worked hard to build a community of which we can all be proud. His advocacy for inclusion and acceptance in Thunder Bay has been broad and has included many partners in the public and private sectors. Starting with a key leadership role in Thunder Pride, Jason went on to found the Rainbow Collective of Thunder Bay, so that local businesses and organizations had the training and tools needed to better understand and build inclusive spaces for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Some of the successful projects that Jason spearheaded include: 

• ensuring that the pride flag is raised at all schools in our community;
• installation of rainbow crosswalks at the intersections of Algoma/Bay and of Donald/May;
• advocating for the removal of gender-specific language within the City of Thunder Bay; and
• the creation of a directory of local and regional 2SLGBTQIA+  businesses.

Jason is a passionate and determined advocate for Thunder Bay and for the queer and transgender community including those who are 2 Spirit, by being a voice for those who are still struggling to see themselves in the community. Jason also chairs the City of Thunder Bay Anti-Racism and Respect Advisory Committee, committing himself to bettering our community and fighting racism, building inclusion and growing our diversity. Congratulations Jason!