Shaun Soonias is the Director, Indigenous Relations with Farm Credit Canada and is a proud member of the Red Pheasant Cree Nation in Saskatchewan, located in Treaty Six Territory west of the Battlefords. Shaun has 25 years of experience in social and economic development having held senior positions with the Saskatchewan Indigenous Economic Development Network, Saskatoon Regional Economic Development Authority, Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations, Saskatchewan Advocate for Children & Youth, University of Saskatchewan and Department of Justice.
While Shaun transitioned from social development to economic development, he remains passionate about the well-being of our most vulnerable citizens and looks forward to contributing to the growth and exceptional service Hope’s Home is known for. In addition to spending 11 years as an advocate and investigator with the Advocate for Children and Youth, Shaun was a technical advisor to Statistics Canada’s Aboriginal Children Survey, member of the Citizen Consultation Team for Saskatchewan’s Provincial Disability Strategy, board member of Catholic Family Services and has remained connected to the social side since transitioning his career.
Shaun has spent his career in a variety of roles working directly with programs, policy, practice and legislation as it relates to vulnerable citizens and communities to affect broader systemic change. Whether his focus was on education and employment, child welfare, corrections, health or economic and business development, the success of all positions has relied on fostering positive and collaborative working relationships. This includes staff, key stakeholders as well as with the four orders of government, community-based organizations, business and industry.
Shaun has worked with First Nations, municipal, provincial, and federal governments on a number of key provincial and national strategies and legislative processes and continues to work towards Indigenous inclusion.