2025 IWD Award Recipient: Rochelle Bush, Tubman Tours Canada

Rochelle Bush is the owner and primary guide of Tubman Tours Canada. A proud descendant of freedom seekers, she was born and raised in St. Catharines, Ontario, where her deep-rooted connection to the community continues to shape her work. Her maternal great-great-grandfather served as minister-in-charge of Salem Chapel, BME Church during the period when Harriet Tubman was an active member.

For over twenty-five years, Rochelle has been dedicated to preserving, promoting, and protecting Canada’s rich Black history. She played a pivotal role in shaping the early Black history narrative and government tourism initiatives in St. Catharines and across the Niagara region. Through this work, she began offering step-on guide services, showcasing Niagara’s Freedom Trail and enhancing visitors’ understanding of the Underground Railroad. Approximately fifteen years ago, she launched the Harriet Tubman Tour, highlighting Tubman’s time in St. Catharines.

Rochelle serves as a Trustee and the resident historian of Salem Chapel, BME Church, Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historic Sites. She is a certified Niagara Tourism Ambassador, a licensed Niagara Parks tour guide, and has held key positions including Board Director of the Historical Society of St. Catharines, Board Member of the St. Catharines Museum, and Emancipation Day organizer. She is also affiliated with the historic Zion Baptist Church.

Highlights

• Co-curated the 2023 award-winning exhibition Bound and Determined: Chloe Cooley, Enslavement, and the Fight for Freedom at the Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum.
• Led the 2021 initiative to rename a public park in St. Catharines in honor of Richard Pierpoint, the city’s first Black settler and a War of 1812 veteran.
• Developed the 2017 Niagara Parks “Crossing into Canada” Interpretive Panels, highlighting Harriet Tubman’s journey.
• Featured in a 2013 interview with Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr. for the award-winning PBS documentary The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross.
• Contributed to the 2003 National Park Service Harriet Tubman Special Resource Study in Washington, D.C.
• Participated in the 1997 Parks Canada and National Park Service Bi-National Underground Railroad Field Study.

Through her extensive work, Rochelle Bush continues to be a leading voice in Black history preservation, ensuring that the legacies of Harriet Tubman and other freedom seekers remain an integral part of Canada’s historical narrative.

Karen Campbell

Vice President of Community Initiatives, Canadian Women’s Foundation

Karen Campbell is an accomplished non-profit leader with over a decade of experience advancing gender equity and social justice through strategic program development, policy and advocacy, and feminist philanthropy. As Vice President of Community Initiatives at the Canadian Women’s Foundation, she leads national efforts to address gender-based violence, build economic security, and support youth leadership. A passionate advocate for feminism and systems change, Karen champions intersectional approaches that prioritize grassroots leadership and community-led solutions to systemic injustice. Her experience spans national and international projects with charities, non-profits, and grassroots organizations, addressing issues including gender-based violence, economic security, global migration governance, and human rights.

Dana Dignard

National Director of Communications, YWCA Canada

Dana Dignard (she/her) is the National Director of Communications at YWCA Canada. She is an accomplished bilingual executive with over 20 years of experience driving marketing, communications, corporate strategy and inclusion initiatives in the non-profit sector nationally and internationally.

Much of Dana’s career has been rooted in the social impact space—from coordinating national campaigns for human rights to leading entrepreneurial training programs for women in Central Africa. She has supported sustainable development projects, advanced gender equity through crisis intervention and advocacy work, and served as Board Chair for Volunteer Toronto.

Prior to joining YWCA Canada, Dana served as Vice President of ESG, Marketing, Communications, and Education at GS1 Canada, where she spent the last ten years. She has held several key leadership roles within the organization, including Senior Director of Corporate Strategy. She was also a senior leader at WE (formerly known as Free The Children), notably serving as Global Head of Global Creative and Communications.

Dana began her career in program management and crisis intervention in the shelter system, holding positions at the Canadian International Development Agency and Women’s Place (now Birchway Niagara). Dana holds a BA in Human Rights and English from Carleton University, along with an MBA from the Rotman School of Management, where she earned the Fellowship Award for Non-Profit Managers.

Diana Huson

Co-Chair, Equal Voice; Regional Councillor, Town of Pelham

Diana Huson is a Regional Councillor for the Town of Pelham and also Founder and Co-Chair of Equal Voice Niagara, advocating for gender equity in politics. First elected in 2018, she became the first woman to both run and hold her seat. Diana is a champion for economic development, social policy and inclusive governance. She served as Chair of the Region’s Women’s Advisory Committee, the Planning and Economic Development Committee, Vice Chair for the Ontario Caucus and other leadership roles with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, working to increase women’s participation in government.

Silent Auction

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