Our Summer Spotlight series highlights some Ottawa residents who strive to build a better community. Today, Brigitte Pellerin speaks with Lee Rose.
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Q. Tell us a little bit about yourself, how you got to be in Ottawa and what’s keeping you here?
My dad was in the military so we moved around the country a lot. I am a Quebecer who was born in Nova Scotia, graduated high school in Alberta, went to the University of Ottawa and stayed here to work.
Q. Some people might be tempted to doubt the sincerity of a big bank operating in the community space. Tell us a little bit about your work and its impacts.
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Q. Other examples?
We also invite their team and clients to join us for games at TD Place. We’ve built a really beautiful partnership. It’s an opportunity for community building that goes beyond simply making a donation to support their programs.
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I come to this role with 15 years on the other side of the table. I had experience as the leader of a charity and have written funding applications and worked with corporate partners, government and foundations to support community work. For me the invitation to come into a large organization like TD, and to bring that experience and first-hand knowledge of what it’s like to lead a community organization was very compelling.
I saw an opportunity to do things differently in the corporate philanthropy space, and have the agency to actually shift some of the things the bank does to better support community organizations.
I’m pretty proud of the fact that I’ve actually been able to influence some changes at TD to make things easier, especially for small community organizations to apply and get funding right away, by reducing their administrative burden and increasing efficiency in how we review applications.
Q. How important was the bank’s commitment to the 2SLGBTQ community in your decision to accept your corporate role?
As a member of the 2SLGBTQ community, it was important for me to work for an organization that represented my values and put its money where its mouth is. I am really proud of TD’s commitment to the community, not just in June for Pride Month, but throughout the year. And to be able to have a part in making some of those investment decisions for the bank, across Ontario, and specifically here in Ottawa, was a pretty compelling invitation for me to come into that role.
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Q. When you’re not busy doing your work, what do you do to relax?
My garden is my sanctuary. My work can sometimes be quite abstract and cerebral, and I love the opportunity to get my hands dirty. I also love spending time with my children and friends, attending events and festivals. I’m really looking forward to Capital Pride this year, and just being out in our beautiful city.
Q. You have the attention of everyone in Ottawa for one minute. What do you tell them?
Whether you lead a nonprofit organization, own a small business, or are simply a human being navigating life, everyone has challenges and opportunities. We’re all holding so, so much. And it’s very easy for us to find reasons why things aren’t working or going our way. There’s a lot going on around us: the effects of the climate crisis and the recent smoke events in our city, the increase in anti-2SLGBTQ hate and violence — it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by all of this.
My invitation is for us to come at these challenges with a possibility mindset. Ask yourself, what’s one thing you can do? What’s one step you can take? Who can you ask for help? And do it.
(This Q and A has been lightly edited.)
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Do you know an Ottawa resident doing good work who should get some recognition? You can make a suggestion for our “Summer Spotlight” series by emailing our letters editor, at letters@ottawacitizen.com
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