love, honesty, humility, respect, truth, patience, wisdom
Projects
With over 38 years of experience working across multiple sectors our services include a comprehensive consultation to help identify objectives, a project plan with timelines and milestones, a cost analysis, and progress reports.
“I have worked with Diane for the last five years. Her ability to build relationships among community sectors that did not use to work together continuously amazed me. She has successfully coordinated projects for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous organizations, always working toward engaging those actors that have not been on the table but should be there. On top of that, Diane is an exceptional human being. It is always a pleasure to work with her.”
Carlos Sanchez-Pimienta, University of Toronto
View some of our projects below
Giiwe
Giiwe ‘he/she goes home’ in Anishinaabemowin, is an Indigenous-led intersectoral circle comprised of 34 agencies/organizations. Originally conceived to foster a culturally safe response to urban Indigenous homelessness, it has grown well past its original mandate.
Giiwe continues to create safe spaces to build relationships, foster meaningful collaborations and nurture trust between Indigenous and non-Indigenous agencies and organizations to advance Reconciliation and build service capacity around well-being. Giiwe was instrumental in the implementation of Indigenous ways of knowing within health, social, government, justice and educational agencies and organizations. It also acquired funding to support the Indigenous community with projects in across multiple sectors.
As a result of its ability to bring healing to this territory and advance Reconciliation work, a model ‘The Giiwe Project’ has been built by the Dalai Lana School of Public Heatlh at the University of Toronto. Giiwe has been recognized multiple times as a successful method for health promotion.
Additional Giiwe Resources
Giiwe. An Indigenous-led Model for Inter-organizational Homelessness Prevention. Prepared for submission to the International Indigenous Policy Journal.
Indigenous Land-Based Alternative High School Program
Creating new pathways to success while nurturing connection to Creation
Merging a high school, friendship center and summer camp facility, A Shared Journey collaborated in designing a land-based alternative high school program. While reconnecting with nature, students took part in traditional teachings, activities and also had the opportunity to broaden their knowledge in multiple disciplines. This experience offered them the occasion to obtain high school credits, their drivers license, certificates such as the safe food handling certificate, etc.… This impactful experience was greatly appreciated by students and families. “This experience changed my life. (student)”
Traditional Wisdom Keepers Of Healing:
Indigenous Pathways to Healthy Healing Practices
Organizing committee member of the Traditional Wisdom Keepers Of Healing: Indigenous Pathways to Healthy Healing Practices gatherings. At these gatherings, Wisdom Keepers collaborated on: defining traditional healing, preserving traditional knowledge, looking at ways to support healers, and creating a policy paper.
Police/First Responders/Front-line workers
Bridging relationships and fostering collaborations between Police/First Responders/Front-line workers and the Indigenous community to increase safety and well-being for ALL community members of the traditional territory.
Brightshores Health System
Creating a more equitable and culturally competent healthcare system
We have had the privilege of working with Diane Giroux from A Shared Journey for the past few years, and throughout this time, she has consistently been an invaluable resource for our team. Diane’s approachable and collaborative nature, combined with her commitment to building stronger relationships, has played a key role in the success of the Cultural Mindfulness sessions attended by our Hospital staff members.
Truth and Reconciliation in healthcare helps heal past wounds, restore trust, and create a more equitable and culturally competent healthcare system, improving health outcomes for marginalized communities. A Shared Journey facilitated the delivery of cultural mindfulness sessions to Brightshores, providing a fundamental understanding of the spirituality of the First Nations People and an account of impactful historical events. These sessions were attended by Brightshores’ staff members, leadership, etc…
In addition, A Shared Journey strengthened the connections between Brightshores and the local Indigenous community, including creating a sharing circle in 2022 to facilitate the integration of local Indigenous knowledge in the new Brightshores Wellness and Recovery Center.
Military Family Resource Centre Meaford
Together in harmony
As a cofounder of The Military Family Resource Centre Meaford our goal was to enhance the well-being of military families posted to ATC Meaford. Approaching its 30th year since inception, this establishment continues to provide innovative programs, services and resources to enhance the well-being of military families.
Echo Franco
Connecting and celebrating ‘la francophonie
Echo Franco is a network of francophones that was created to alleviate isolation from culture, language and education for french-speaking families across Bruce and Grey counties of Ontario. A Shared Journey acquired funding from the Ministère Du Patrimoine and successfully created a community where French culture could be celebrated and thrive. The formation of this cultural group lead to the creation of L’École Saint Dominique-Savio.
North River Salmon Project
Collaborating on land stewardship
Research Assistant & Field Coordination – Queens University
Affirming urban Indigenous leadership in climate action
As the current global climate crisis poses the need for immediate and systematic actions to reduce emissions and foster healthy environments for all, A Shared Journey acted as research assistant and fieldwork coordinator for a thesis on urban Indigenous land stewardship seeking to affirm the leadership role of an urban Indigenous friendship centre for climate action and land stewardship.
Indigenous Supportive Housing Program
Indigenous homelessness
There is an overrepresentation of Indigenous individuals and families who are homeless and at risk of homelessness. Through a grant application we were successful in acquiring funds, creating and facilitating the ISHP program on the traditional territory of the Saugeen Ojibway Nation. ISHP provides emergency resources for individuals and families in crisis situations, transitioning from incarceration, the hospital or living with the many challenges associated with homelessness within the community.
Learn More
Sharing Circles
A Safe space to expand your knowledge, improve relationships and trust
Sharing Circles are safe spaces to advance collaborative work, share teachings and/or get to know each other better and build trust. Subsequent to successfully hosting over 45 Sharing Circles, this is A Shared Journey’s preferred model for building trust with the objective of engaging in collaborative work.
These Circles have advanced a tremendous amount of initiatives and brought much healing to communities, families and individuals. Fostering improved interpersonal and intersectoral collaborations increases competency for moving towards shared objectives. Sharing Circles have offered agencies/organizations the opportunity to expand their knowledge on local Indigenous historical and current context.
Sharing Circle Example Event
Founder of 3 Francophone Schools
‘En français s’il vous plaît’
The following were founded and/or co-founded by Diane Giroux, A Shared Journey
L’École Marguerite Bourgeois – Borden, ON
An elementary school accommodating students from kindergarten to grade 6
L’École Notre-Dame-De-La-Huronie – Collingwood, ON
An elementary school accommodating students from kindergarten to grade 8
L’École Saint-Dominique-Savio – Owen Sound, ON
An elementary-secondary school accommodating students from kindergarten to grade 12.
Cultural Mindfulness
Diversity is a fact, equity is a choice
A Shared Journey’s cultural training builds a foundation for equitable and inclusive communities. Over 1000 individuals have participated in cultural mindfulness. This initiative was born out of the need for a culturally safe response when First Responders attend calls for Indigenous individuals and families. Over the years it has been expanded to included all front line services and beyond.
Retreat Examples
Cultural Mindfulness Training Example
….and many more
Guelph-Wellington Action Committee on Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence
Dedicated to increasing the safety and well being of all victims of sexual assault and domestic violence
Wishing to engage in Reconciliation work and connect with the local Indigenous community after many unsuccessful attempts, the GWAC reached out to A Shared Journey for guidance in connecting with Indigenous individuals and families. Guiding respectful processes of growing relationships and trust and using traditional protocols we gathered and embarked on a journey of undoing historical segregation. This work continues with the intention of sharing a new path forward that will lead to all nations of territory moving forward together in a good way.
A SHARED Future
Achieving Strength, Health and Autonomy Through Renewable Energy Development for The Future
The A Shared Future research program reconciles knowledge from the Indigenous ways of knowing and the western framework while advancing energy conservation, efficiency and development. Under this umbrella, A Shared Journey supported faculty and graduate students with their Tri-Council funded research projects acting as community liaison with Indigenous communities.
G.R.E.A.T. Housing (Green. Rural. Environmental. Affordable. Together)
Creating environmentally sustainable permanent housing in Muskoka
Using a community land trust (CLT) model, the G.R.E.A.T. Housing project (GHP) draws on community investment and support to build permanently affordable housing that is healthy for the planet and for people. This project will include a focus on populations with a particular strong need for housing.
In the spirit of Reconciliation, A Shared Journey explored opportunities to connect with the local Indigenous community and guided respectful processes of growing relationships and building trust. We identified possible funding sources for collaborative work and provided cultural training opportunities while providing insight into Indigenous specific housing needs and preferences.
Learn More
“The G.R.E.A.T Housing Steering Committee is very pleased to be working with A Shared Journey to assist us in growing our understanding of colonial legacies and assisting us in building and strengthening partnerships with Indigenous organizations and communities.”
Matthew Adams – Fourth Pig
Countless other community projects and clubs within the arts, sport, heritage and culture sectors.
Past presentations and speaking engagements
Nova Annual Conference 2022 – Flourishing Futures
People – Places – Planets
Conference Website
Video Gallery
ICLEI 2022 Livable Cities Forum
Local governments for sustainability
Forum Website
Tamarack The End Of Poverty Virtual Gathering – May 5 and 6th 2021
Giiwe A Model For Inter-organizational healing, learning and healing
YouTube Video
Rogers TV Health Link Giiwe Sharing Circle
Health Link – Rogers TV
Community Foundations Grey Bruce – Vital Conversation On Housing
Website Link
Owen Sound Hub Article
Diane Giroux – Giiwe: A Model for Inter-organizational Coordination, Learning, and Healing
YouTube Video
Dalai Lana School Of Public Health – University Of Toronto
HBHS Virtual Seminar: The Giiwe Model
Virtual Seminar pdf
Website Page
Other collaborations
Rentsafe
Rentsafe Meeting Summary