Laura Gagnon

Laura is Iron Horse Security’s in-house Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Advisor. Laura helps advise Iron Horse Security on how best to view every facet of our operations with the forethought of ensuring an inclusive, diverse and equitable organization for all. Laura’s mandate covers all matters relating to any grounds enumerated under the Ontario Human Rights Code, including race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, family status or disability.

Laura is a graduate of Carleton University, where she completed a Bachelor of Communication and Media Studies honours degree with a minor in Indigenous studies. Laura then went on to complete her Master’s in Communications, also at Carleton University.

Some of her written work creatively expresses Indigenous methodology, embodiment, and affect theory, weaving together cultural knowledge and Western worldviews to describe Indigenous brilliance/intelligence. She is Ojibwe from Northwestern Ontario and has a close relationship with people from her community of Aroland First Nation.

Laura has worked in Deputy Minister Jody Thomas’ office at the Department of National Defence. She has experience teaching at the university level. She thrives in event coordination, as she worked as a Project Assistant for three years for the Carleton University Institute on the Ethics of Research with Indigenous Peoples.

She has also partaken in ceremonial events where she has been asked to sing honour songs, where people like Former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Former Governor General David Johnston, Indigenous actor Tom Jackson and singer-songwriter Gordon Downie were in attendance.

Laura realizes that education can offer a pathway to (re)thinking about Indigenous peoples’ relationship to self, community and government; therefore, she finds motivation by offering some of these perspectives to ensure these relationships are built stronger and more fruitful.