Creating 'ripples of change': Nova Scotia immigrant wins national leadership award

CBC

10 hours ago

When Simone Le Gendre arrived in Nova Scotia from Trinidad and Tobago in 2018, it was her first time setting foot on Canadian soil.
She had no idea that seven years later she would be honoured as one of Canada's top-25 immigrants and be the inaugural recipient of the Edward Jones Leadership Award.
The awards, in their 17th year, are presented by Canadian Immigrant magazine to celebrate immigrant success across Canada.
At the ceremony in Toronto this week, Le Gendre was recognized for her vision and commitment to inclusion.
She was the only person from Atlantic Canada to receive an award this year.
'I feel really, really blessed'
Le Gendre secured a senior role in education administration in Nova Scotia before leaving Trinidad, where she worked for the National Institute of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology.
"I thought that my skill set was unique and probably would be really hard for me to find a job in my field," she said.
"But right before I moved to Canada ... I said, 'You know what, let me just throw my hat in the ring'... I feel really, really blessed."
She has held various positions since arriving, including becoming Nova Scotia's first immigrant and Black woman to become the province's director of immigration and settlement.
According to Le Gendre, she didn't see it as an opportunity to be the first but rather as a chance to bring her lived experience to the role.
In hindsight, she said it was a "huge privilege" to be the first immigrant and Black woman in that role.
She said she wanted to give other immigrants a glimpse of what it was like to be inside the system.
Today, she is the director of policy and strategic initiatives at the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, where she helps co-ordinate Nova Scotia's responses to a number of federal-provincial initiatives.
Outside her role in government, Le Gendre founded EduHaus Inc., opening up access to science, technology, engineering and mathematics through initiatives like the AI-powered STEMpal and Roots & Harvest urban farm.
"Government cannot do everything.... I decided that I was just not going to stand by and criticize," she said.
"I was going to build whatever I felt needed to exist, to make more people included in STEM and in taking back control of their food systems."
Driven by her faith
The leadership award holds deep significance, she said. She said being the inaugural recipient is "deeply humbling."
"To me, leadership means using every opportunity to create ripples of change that outlast you," she said.
Le Gendre said she is driven by values instilled by her parents Cecil and Annette Le Gendre.
She said her Roman Catholic faith has given her the strength to deal with whatever challenges life has thrown at her.
Canada gave her the opportunity to deliver big dreams for government and herself, she said.
Nawaz Meghji, the principal and general counsel for Edward Jones Canada, immigrated to Canada with his family from Tanzania in the 1970s. He said immigrants like Le Gendre make great efforts to improve the lives of others.
"Canada needs far more people like that," he said.