If you are an urban Indigenous person interested in running for municipal council in, we have a workshop for you! The Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) is offering a series of workshops for urban Indigenous peoples’ thinking about running for municipal office in the October 2026 elections.

These sessions will provide insights and strategies to build your understanding and confidence around how to become a candidate and running a campaign.

Facilitated by Melanie Pilon, the first Indigenous Mayor of Municipality of Wawa and member of Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory and William Morin, member of Michipicoten First Nation and founder and leader of The First Peoples National Party of Canada (2004-2013), you will gain firsthand insight into:

• Why increasing Indigenous representation matters in Municipal governance?
• Critical strategies for successfully campaigning for municipal office
• Understand what it takes to become a candidate
• Strategies to build confidence to lead with cultural integrity
• And more!

This session is a part of AMO’s Healthy Democracy Leadership Series. For more information visit here.

Questions? Please reach out to events@amo.on.ca.

Dates:

• Thursday, April 9, 6:30 – 8:30pm
• Wednesday, May 6, 6:30 – 8:30pm
• Wednesday, June, 3, 6:30 – 8:30pm

Registration: FREE

Presenters:

Melanie Pilon the principal and founder of Pilon Strategies Inc. With more than 15 years of senior leadership experience in community economic development and Indigenous affairs, she currently serves as the Mayor of the Municipality of Wawa.

A proud Anishinaabe Kwe from Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory, Melanie is widely recognized for her ability to lead transformative change and foster sustainable, community-driven impact.  Before founding Pilon Strategies Inc., Melanie led the National Indigenous Affairs team at Bell Canada and was the founder and Regional Broadband Champion of the Northeastern Superior Regional Broadband Network (NSRBN). She continues to strengthen municipal–Indigenous partnerships through her work with the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO), where she serves as Chair of the Indigenous Advisory Council.

William Morin, a citizen of Michipicoten Anishinaabek, residing in Northern Ontario, where he continues to teach Indigenous Studies for three decades at various elementary - post-secondary institutions in Ontario. William Morin, of Birds of Pray Create Consulting, is a multi-faceted interdisciplinary facilitator of Indigenous Cultural Awareness training for over two decades, provincially and nationally to a wide variety of clientele in both the private and public sectors. After serving as a Medical Assistant in the Canadian Armed Forces during the first Gulf War, he obtained four degrees and is currently finishing his PhD in Interdisciplinary Human Studies at Laurentian University. In 2004, Will helped to found the First Peoples National Party of Canada, becoming the leader and running as a candidate in three federal elections until voluntarily deregistering the party in 2013 to focus on Indigenous Cultural Awareness training.