Board of Directors

Natasha Pashak, Chair of the Board, Calgary

Natasha Pashak has an MA in Art History from Concordia University and a BFA from the Alberta University of the Arts (formerly ACAD). She has served on a number of public and non-profit boards, including the Calgary Subdivision and Development Appeal Board, the AUArts Board of Governors, and the Contemporary Calgary Arts Society board. During her tenure as chair of the Governance and HR Committee at the Alberta University of the Arts, the institution transitioned from a college to a university and confirmed the reappointment of its first two-term president. Over the course of her time on the Contemporary Calgary board, the organization achieved numerous milestones, most notably opening in the Centennial Planetarium. She is a director of the Flanagan Foundation, a private charitable foundation. She grew up in Treaty 7 territory, where the Elbow and Bow rivers meet and where she lives with her partner and their son.

Bruce MacLellan, Past Chair of the Board, Toronto

Bruce MacLellan lives in Toronto and is a communications consultant, entrepreneur, and co-founder of Proof Strategies Inc., which has operated for almost 30 years across North America with a team of over 165 people providing communications and public affairs counsel to corporations, foundations, and governments. In 2016, Bruce founded an annual in-depth study of trust levels of Canadians in our society, institutions, and leaders. The Proof Strategies CanTrust Index™ is made public and available at no cost to schools, businesses, government, and individuals. As an active volunteer, Bruce has served as Chair of the national board of the Nature Conservancy of Canada, and of the Lake of Bays Heritage Foundation. He received the Vision Award in 2016 from the Ontario Land Trust Alliance for his work in using social media to promote conservation. He is an avid reader of history and the author of two local history books that together have sold more than 2,500 copies: Post Cards from Lake of Bays and Back Again at Lake of Bays. 

Bill Caulfeild-Browne, Business Executive and Corporate Director, Tobermory, Ontario

Bill Caulfeild-Browne has a degree in Modern History from the University of Exeter. He came to Canada in 1965, and built a career in international reinsurance. In addition to gaining insurance and business qualifications, he chaired the industry’s Research Council. He retired as Chief Operating Officer, US Life and Health, for the Swiss Reinsurance Group. He then served as Vice-Chair of the Scottish Reinsurance Company and as a director of the Owen Sound Transportation Company, an enterprise of the Province of Ontario.

With the Nature Conservancy of Canada he performed board roles in audit, investments and governance, culminating in the chairmanship from 2015–2017. He is a Director Emeritus of the Sources of Knowledge Forum and a member of Parks Canada’s Advisory Committee for the local National Parks.

An ardent naturalist and photographer, he has published two books, the latest celebrating Canada’s 150th year of Confederation. He and his wife live in Tobermory, Ontario and love to travel to all corners of this country. They have three children and five grandchildren.

Hugh Christie

Hugh Christie was born in Halifax, raised in Ottawa, England and India, attended Queen’s University (BA, LL.B) and the London School of Economics (LL.M with distinction), and has worked as a lawyer in Toronto for the last 40+ years. In 2016 he founded the Canadian operation of Ogletree Deakins, a large international law firm providing labour and employment advice to employers. He recently stepped down as managing partner, having seen the firm grow from 4 people to over 20 in Toronto and Montreal.  Hugh is a qualified lawyer in Ontario, England & Wales, and Hong Kong,  a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and the American College of Labor and Employment Lawyers.  He is a trustee emeritus of Queen’s, a co-chair of its Centre for Law in the Contemporary Workplace, and a former chair of the board of the Algonquin Forestry Authority.  He has canoed rivers in every region of Canada annually since 1982.

James Cowan, Toronto

James is passionate about history, current events, and sports (playing over watching where possible). He’s worked in finance and asset management most of his career, and currently is Vice Chair, Global Private Markets with Northleaf Capital Partners, a leading global private markets asset manager headquartered in Toronto. James is married with three grown children spread across the country (Vancouver, Calgary & Australia). Not-for-profit experience includes serving on boards or in other roles with educational, sporting, health and community organizations. James’ family roots run deep in Canada, including a United Empire Loyalist and the Cowans who came here via a Napoleonic war land grant. 

Michele Dorsey K.C. 

Michele Dorsey K.C. is a certified mediator and retired lawyer based in Charlottetown, PEI. She was Deputy Minister of Environment, Labour and Justice and Deputy Attorney General with the Government of Prince Edward Island, served as the first Children’s Commissioner and Advocate. She was Senior Counsel with McInnis Cooper, 2013-14; Chair of the Criminal Code Review Board, 2012-14; Owner and President of Michele Dorsey Law Inc., 2011-13; Founding Partner with HR Associates Inc., 1995-2011; Partner with Sanderson Howard, Barristers and Solicitors, 1992-95; Chairperson of the PEI Labour Relations Board, 1992-95; and Associate Lawyer with Farmer MacLeod MacMillian Fortier, 1988-92. She has been involved in many community organizations including the Transition House Association, PEI Citizen’s Advocacy, Child Care Facilities Board, UPEI Alumni Association, Queens County Residential Services, CBA PEI Branch, CBA National, Ars Longa Inc., Family Violence Prevention PEI, CHANCES, Mental Health Commission of Canada and the Association of Newcomers PEI.

Edward Kennedy, President & CEO, Eskay Partners Limited, Winnipeg

Edward recently retired after 25 years as CEO of The North West Company. Prior to becoming CEO, Edward worked in senior management positions at North West for five years, including Chief Operating Officer of North West and Chief Executive Officer of the Alaska Commercial Company, the Company’s U.S. subsidiary located in Anchorage.

Edward is now an investor in and advisor to various businesses. He is a board member of Canada’s History Society and a member of the World Presidents’ Organization, the Associates of the Asper School of Business as well as a member and past officer of the Business Council of Manitoba.

Michèle Leduc, President, Creative Director and Strategist, ZIPCOM, Montreal

Michèle Leduc has contributed to the success and notoriety of a number of brands, both in Québec and Canada. Throughout her 25-year-strong career, Michèle has handled mandates for some of Montréal’s most renowned agencies. In 1984, she landed her first job with Vickers & Benson, then went on to work with Ogilvy & Mather, Chiat Day, Publicis and FCB. As a Copywriter, Creative Lead and finally Creative Director, she worked on various regional, national and international brands. Michèle founded her own agency, ZIP Communication, in 2000. An efficient strategist with a result-driven approach, she offers her clientele a highly diversified experience in communication and marketing, demonstrating a great capacity to exceed the expectations of her clients as well as to initiate relevant and effective solutions.

Marcel Martel, Toronto

Marcel Martel is the Avie Bennett Historica Chair in Canadian History, a member of the HistoryDepartment at York University, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. A specialist in politicaland cultural history, he has published numerous articles and book chapters on public policy, moraland social regulation, language rights and relations between Quebec and French-speaking minoritygroups in Canada. His most recent works include an online exhibit on the origins of the commercialwine industry in Ontario (Wine Making in Ontario or La fabrication du vin en Ontario), a virtualanthology entitled Virtual anthology: Prises de parole dans les francophonies canadiennes/Speaking Up inFrancophone Minority Communities parolefranco.ca, Entre solitudes et réjouissances : les francophones et les fêtesnationales (1834-1982) (Boréal, 2021), and Canada the Good? A Short History of Vice since 1500 (WilfridLaurier Press, 2015).

Sandra E. Martin, Toronto

Sandra E. Martin is Head of Newsroom Development at The Globe and Mail, and an instructor at Toronto Metropolitan University’s School of Journalism. Previously, Sandra served as Editor-in-Chief of MoneySense where, under her leadership, audience for the online personal finance magazine grew to 1 million monthly visitors from 450,000 upon her arrival, and was recognized with awards for its content. A former Editor-in-Chief of Canadian Living, Sandra also is a two-time National Magazine Awards finalist, a repeat NMA judge, and a two-time NMA host. She sits on the board of directors of Canada’s History Society and SABEW Canada.

Carla Peck, Professor, Edmonton

Carla Peck is Professor of Social Studies Education in the Faculty of Education at the University of Alberta and is the Director of the Thinking Historically for Canada’s Future SSHRC Partnership Grant. She researches teachers’ and students’ understandings of democratic concepts, teachers’ and students’ historical understandings, and is particularly interested in the relationship between students’ ethnic identities and their understandings of history.

She has held several major research grants, has authored and co-authored numerous journal articles and book chapters, and has co-edited several books related to her research interests, including Teaching and Learning Difficult Histories in International Contexts: A Critical Sociocultural Approach, The Palgrave Handbook of Global Citizenship and Education, and Contemplating Historical Consciousness: Notes from the Field.

Carla regularly works with teachers at the provincial, national, and international level and serves as a consultant on numerous boards and advisory groups for history and civic organizations. Strongly committed to social justice education, Dr. Peck has always sought ways to engage students of all ages in discussions about how to make the world a more equitable and just place to live. She views a solid grounding in history and historical inquiry as foundational to these discussions. Before Dr. Peck found her way to academia, she was an elementary school teacher in New Brunswick.

Jennifer Moore Rattray, COO at Southern Chiefs’ Organization, Winnipeg

Jennifer Moore Rattray is Chief Operating Officer at Southern Chiefs’ Organization and a proud citizen of Peepeekisis Cree Nation. In 2023, she was appointed Ministerial Special Representative to the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations to provide recommendations on the creation of a National Indigenous and Human Rights Ombudsperson.

Jennifer was Executive Director of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, and before that, an Assistant Deputy Minister with the Province of Manitoba. From 2004 to 2014, she spent a decade at the University of Winnipeg, becoming its first Associate Vice-President, Indigenous, Government and Community Affairs. Believing access to education can create a more equitable Canada, she identified ways to break down barriers and promote access to post-secondary education.

Before her career in public service, Jennifer was an award-winning television journalist and she is one of the first Indigenous people to anchor the television news in Canada.

Jennifer holds a joint Master of Public Administration degree with distinction from the University of Winnipeg and the University of Manitoba, and is a graduate of the ICD.D Program and the Executive Program at the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto.

In addition to Canada’s National History Society, Jennifer is a director on the boards of CBC/Radio-Canada, The Gordon Foundation, and the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR). She is a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors and the International Women’s Forum.

Jennifer is a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal and the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal.

John L. Thomson

John Thomson has worked in the Canadian heritage and culture sector throughout his career. He was an executive at the Expo 86 Corporation, the BC Lottery Corporation, president of the Jim Pattison Publishing Group, and CEO and Publisher at Canadian Geographic Enterprises. In these roles, he was publisher/producer of several award-winning magazines, documentary films, websites and many books. Under his leadership, Canadian Geographic won Magazine of the Year from the National Magazine Awards Foundation and was named best large-circulation magazine in Canada three times by the Canadian Society of Magazine Editors. He joined Parks Canada in 2009 as Special Advisor to the CEO, later focusing on history and heritage projects and collaborations with not-for-profit organizations. John’s volunteer activities include serving as treasurer of the Maritime Museum of British Columbia, president of the International Regional Magazine Association, vice-president of the Victoria Civic Heritage Trust, chair of Magazines Canada, and vice-president of Canada’s Coalition for the Diversity of Cultural Expression. John is a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal and is a current member of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas. He lives in Victoria. 

Joseph E. Martin, President Emeritus and Past Chair 1997–2001, Toronto

Following graduation from United College (now known as the University of Winnipeg) in 1959, with an honours Arts degree, Joseph E. Martin embarked on a varied and successful business career. He served as the Executive Assistant to the Honourable Duff Roblin, Premier of Manitoba. He completed the Harvard Business School Advanced Management Program in 1983. He was a Partner in what is now Deloitte Consulting, serving as Partner in Charge of Canada and Chair of the Global Consulting Committee. He is now Director of Canadian Business History at the Rotman School of Management. Past president of the Manitoba Historical Society, Past Treasurer of the Ontario Historical Society, Mr. Martin joined the Board of Canada's National History Society in 1994, and served three consecutive terms, stepping down from the Board in June 2003. He is Founding President of the Canadian Business History Association.

Rolph Huband (1929–2016), Founding Publisher, Oakville

Former Vice-President and Secretary of Hudson's Bay Company, it was Rolph Huband's vision, initiative and leadership that established the History Society and for which he was named Founding Chair in recognition of his contributions. From 1994 to 1997, Mr. Huband held dual positions as Chairman of the Board of the History Society and Publisher of The Beaver, the publication with which he had been closely associated since 1960. He was responsible for the shift in focus from a magazine about the North to one of general Canadian history, which led to an increase in The Beaver's circulation and visibility. In August 2003, Mr. Huband was appointed to the Order of Canada.