Chief Donna Big Canoe

Chief Donna Big Canoe is one of the youngest female Chiefs in Ontario. She is the first female chief to hold the position on Georgina Island First Nation. After graduating from Georgian College in 1998 with Honours from the Community and Social Development Course, she returned to her First Nation to work as the Community Consultation Worker. Donna first held her seat as councillor in 2003 for two terms and then after getting her feet wet, ran for position of Chief in 2007. Donna was re-instated by acclamation with no opponents running against her in the last election of 2009. Donna and John have two beautiful children, a daughter and a new baby boy. Donna takes her role as Chief very seriously, and looks to her community for guidance. She holds her position as Chief of the Chippewas of Georgina Island with great honour and responsibility, as successor to her father Hugh Big Canoe, who was Chief in 1971 - 1981. It was her late father who began the windfarm project in 2003. Hugh (better known as Buzzy) understood that Georgina Island's abundance of windpower is an untapped resource which if harnessed and managed correctly will bring economic and environmental benefits.