Courtney Strutt is a settler woman of Irish, English, and Portuguese descent, born and raised in the unceded territory of the Algonquin (Ottawa), calling Thunder Bay home for the last 15 years. She has a Master’s degree from Lakehead University in Education for Change and has been working in the field of community-based research and program development for over 15 years with a focus on education, community development, and food systems work in the era of climate change.

These areas of focus coalesced in her role as the Emergency Food Plan and Food Access Coordinator for the last five years, where she has guided the development of a collaborative community-led Emergency Food Plan for Thunder Bay, the first of its kind in the city.