PRESS RELEASE: CN JOINS LEVEL TO EMPOWER INDIGENOUS YOUTH THROUGH JUSTICE EDUCATION

Toronto, ON – Level is proud to announce CN’s $150,000 sponsorship of its Indigenous youth outreach program, “Dare to Dream.”

Dare to Dream delivers innovative justice education workshops aimed at making the justice system more accessible, while at the same time instilling confidence and cultural pride in the First Nations, Métis and Inuit youth participants. The program is also celebrated for enhancing the cultural competency of justice and business sector volunteers.

“We are truly thrilled to welcome CN as a title, national sponsor of Level’s Dare to Dream program,” said Brittany Twiss, Executive Director at Level. “Access to justice for Indigenous peoples, and education and empowerment programs for Indigenous youth specifically, are critical to reconciliation and to breaking the cycle of poverty, racism and inequality that persists in Canada. With CN’s generous contribution, Dare to Dream will reach the next level in terms of impact and reach across the country.”

“I have presided over the Toronto students’ Dare to Dream mock trial since 2012, and each year it is a highlight,” added the Honourable Justice Harry LaForme of the Ontario Court of Appeal and member of the Mississaugas of New Credit First Nation. “The focus on mentorship creates a unique learning environment that builds confidence and enables the youth and volunteers to tackle important and at times difficult justice issues. The students make me so proud and give me hope for the future.”

CN’s support, made possible through a joint initiative of the CN Stronger Communities Fund and the CN Employees’ and Pensioners’ Community Fund, will enable Level to further develop and expand the program to communities with high populations of Indigenous youth throughout Canada. The funding will also support the organization’s efforts to promote inclusion and respect for diversity by improving the sensitivity of volunteers and the community at large to Indigenous culture.

“We are inspired by Level’s passion for creating programs that support equal access to justice,” said Olivier Chouc, CN vice president of corporate services and chair of CN’s Employees’ and Pensioners’ Community Fund. "We are devoted to supporting the success of Indigenous youth and their communities, and look forward to working with Level for years to come.”

Level would like to thank its Dare to Dream Elders and Indigenous advisors in Ontario, Alberta and Saskatchewan for their invaluable support, advice and encouragement in the continued development and delivery of the program.

For more information, watch Level’s Dare to Dream video, which features students from the First Nations School of Toronto.

Learn more about CN’s Aboriginal Vision at http://www.cn.ca/aboriginalvision

About CN:

CN is a true backbone of the economy, transporting more than C$250 billion worth of goods annually for a wide range of business sectors, ranging from resource products to manufactured products to consumer goods, across a rail network of approximately 20,000 route-miles spanning Canada and mid-America. CN – Canadian National Railway Company, along with its operating railway subsidiaries – serves the cities and ports of Vancouver, Prince Rupert, B.C., Montreal, Halifax, New Orleans, and Mobile, Ala., and the metropolitan areas of Toronto, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Calgary, Chicago, Memphis, Detroit, Duluth, Minn./Superior, Wis., and Jackson, Miss., with connections to all points in North America. For more information about CN, visit the Company’s website at www.cn.ca.

About Level:

Level (formerly Canadian Lawyers Abroad), is a charitable organization that unites the power of people, education and law to create a more equitable and just society. The organization achieves its mission through community programming that aims to level the playing field and increase access to justice for marginalized communities worldwide.

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For more information, contact Brittany Twiss, Level’s Executive Director, at  brittany@leveljustice.org or 647-880-2160.