TORONTO -- Former Eabametoong First Nation Chief, Harvey Yesno, has been appointed to Avalon Advanced Materials Inc.'s board of directors.
Yesno is to stand for election at the next annual General Meeting of Shareholders that will be held on Feb. 24, 2022.
Yesno is a member and former Chief of the Eabametoong First Nation located at Fort Hope approximately 350 kilometres from Thunder Bay, where he now resides.
He served as Chief for six terms from 1977 to 1991 and one further term from 2019-21. He also served as Grand Chief of Nishnawbe Aski Nation (Treaty #9 and #5) from 2012-15. From 1993 to 2010 he served as president and CEO of Nishnawbe Aski Development Fund, based in Thunder Bay. NADF is a non-profit Indigenous financial institution that supports Indigenous business and economic development in Northern Ontario by providing Indigenous entrepreneurs with access to capital for start-ups and the growth of businesses.
From 2011-2012, Yesno served as director of community relations for Ontario’s Ring of Fire secretariat.
Avalon President and CEO, Don Bubar was delighted to welcome an Indigenous leader with broad experience to Avalon's board of directors.
"I have known Harvey since 2002 when we both served on the Smart Growth regional panel for Northwestern Ontario. I am delighted to welcome an Indigenous leader with broad experience in northwestern Ontario in identifying First Nation challenges related to government, the economy and resource development to Avalon’s Board of Directors," said Budar in a release. "I look forward to working closely with Harvey to inspire greater Indigenous business participation in the sustainable development of critical minerals supply chains that will support the emerging clean economy in Ontario.”
Yesno is happy to accept the invitation.
“I am pleased to accept Avalon’s invitation to serve on its Board of Directors. I share the Company’s vision for how critical minerals offer an exceptional business opportunity for northern Ontario First Nations to participate in the rapidly emerging global clean economy. I became familiar 20 years ago with Avalon’s Lilypad Cesium-Tantalum-Lithium project because it is located just west of Fort Hope in our traditional territory and I now recognize what an exceptional economic development opportunity it represents for Eabametoong First Nation.”
