Meet the Panel

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Over the years, Leila has reported from four Canadian cities—Yellowknife, Regina, Calgary and St. John’s— working with two major networks, CBC and CTV. Since 2015, she has been reporting and anchoring with NTV in NL, traveling throughout the province to do investigative journalism and spot news coverage that relies heavily on digital storytelling.

Leila recently published her first piece of short literature Lipstick in the 2021 novel, “Land of Many Shores”. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism (‘11) from the University of Regina, a Bachelor of Arts in English (‘08) from Memorial University, as well as a Certificate in Strategic Communications (‘14). Leila was recognized as a 2020 Women of Distinction with YWCA St. John’s and received a 2020 Silver Award for Video Journalism: Television from the Atlantic Journalism Awards.

Leila Beaudoin brings facts to life and takes stories to heart.

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She is a passionate advocate for Indigenous Rights and for the Environment. She is an active member of the Labrador Land Protectors and Grand RiverKeeper, and has brought their message of protecting The Big Land to panels and events all across North America. She’s faced charges and even been arrested on Parliament Hill for trying to protect the Grand River from the destruction caused by large-scale hydro dams.

Amy has the dubious honour of running in two separate elections within six months. She ran for the provincial NDP in the district of Lake Melville during the seemingly-endless disaster of a winter pandemic election, as well as the federal NDP in the riding of Labrador running in the slightly less stressful federal election this fall. She currently sits on the NLNDP executive in the role of Federal Liasion.

Amy holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music with a Minor in Mathematics from Bishop’s University. She works as the manager of the Lawrence O’Brien Arts Centre, and volunteers as a Girl Guide leader in Happy Valley-Goose Bay. She’s a proud auntie to four rowdy nephews, loves to go ice fishing, and likes to dabble in linocut printmaking, meme creation, and trying new crafts.

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Laurabel recognizes the current disparities in society for BIPOC, marginalized and underrepresented communities, and lends her voice and experience to bring their concerns and struggles to the decision-making table.

As a member of the Anti-Racism Coalition of Newfoundland and Labrador, a member of both the St. John’s Status of Women Council and Happy City St. John’s, she works with a wide variety of like-minded individuals to improve the experiences of marginalized communities in our province.

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Lynn also provides advice to people who have been sexually assaulted through the Journey Project. Before entering private practice, she spent twenty years as a Crown Attorney and civil litigator who kept survivors and victims of crime in the forefront of her mind.

Lynn is a member of the Board of Directors for Iris Kirby House, a shelter for women and children fleeing intimate partner violence. Previously, she served on the Boards of the St. John’s Status of Women/Women’s Centre and Clean St. John’s. She has volunteered with Miles for Smiles – a foundation for the prevention of and treatment for childhood sexual assault survivors and with the Safe Harbour Outreach Project (SHOP) – a group that supports sex workers. In 2013, Lynn swam five kilometres in the North Atlantic from Portugal Cove to Bell Island to help raise awareness for the Canadian Mental Health Association.

Lynn graduated from Dalhousie Law School in 1992 and completed her Bachelor of Arts in 1989. She is married and is mother and stepmother to five amazing individuals.

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Mary was first elected President of the NL Federation of Labour (NLFL), in 2013, representing 70,000 union members in more than 25 affiliated unions across NL and every sector of the economy. Mary represents the interests of workers in the broader political arena; as she works to bring about legislative and policy changes that create a more equal, fair, and just society and economy for all workers.

Previously, Mary was the Atlantic Regional Director, and NL Representative, for the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC); where she has worked since 2001. Before that, Mary was a union rep and member of her Local’s Executive Board at Air Canada, where she worked for 28 years. She currently represents the NLFL on the Board of Directors of MUN C.A.R.E, MUN’s Masters of Employment Relations Advisory Committee, and MUN’s SafetyNet Community Advisory Council. She served several terms on the Board of Directors of the St. John’s Status of Women’s Council and was Chair of that Board for two terms.